Letting go of lust is part of our sanctification process. We don’t wake up one day deciding that we won’t lust anymore. There is a gradual transition that has to happen from carnality and fleshliness to Godliness and spirituality. Paul demonstrates a great example of this.
though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, Philippians 3:4-8
Paul had an impressive resume which gave him honor and an important position in his circle of Judaism. After finding Jesus, though, he realized how insignificant those things were. As a matter of fact, some of his past credentials were the key issues that kept him from faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing what he knew after conversion, he was willing to let go of it all for the sake of Christ. The lust of fame and power had shown their ugly faces to him, and he was so nauseated by them that he didn’t want to have anything to do with those rubbish things; he just wanted to serve Christ!!
Many of us come to Jesus in a desperate moment in our lives. For some of us, we have gone through so much difficulty in the past, that we now think that because of our dramatic turn around to God, we deserve honor, position, & recognition. For others, they’ve had honor, position, and recognition before they knew Christ, and now they feel that people should honor them and utilize their giftedness in the body of Christ. Each group may have good reasons for what they feel, but ultimately those reasons are carnal and can cause lust in people’s hearts.
Our desires must be examined against the word of God to see if there is any lust or envy in our hearts. If our desires are God given, then we can trust God for His provision and timing. Easier said than done!! Sometimes, the desires are God given, but over time because nothing happens, a person can move in the flesh and start lusting after what God already desires to give to the person. If the desires are produced by our own flesh or by looking at what other Christians have, then we need to crucify those desires.
For example, we can be zealous for God, but if we become competitive people and try to outdo everyone else, that’s not being zealous for God anymore. It is a personal lust for selfish ambition that masquerades itself in being zealous for God. The self is still at the center and ruling the person’s actions and behaviors!!
Love operates in the opposite way of lust. 1Cornithians, chapter 13 is a great chapter on describing what love is. Love gives sacrificially. Love is willing to take losses in life just as Paul did in order to serve Christ and serve others. Love has a great stability because it is not dependent upon people’s actions or reactions. Love is genuine. It doesn’t flatter to gain access to someone. It does not depend on external stimuli to decide whether one is ok, valuable, or loved.
Oh Lord, change us to love better!! Awaken us to areas of lust and carnality in our lives and take us deeper in you!! In Jesus’ name. Amen!!
More on this subject in the next devotional!