Slaying Dragons: Lust — Thursday
Matthew 5:29a
”If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.” (NIV)
I’ve always been intrigued by this verse. Frankly, it seems like overkill to me. I mean, we can close our eyes and still lust! Clearly, Jesus was giving an extreme example to make an extremely important point: To win the battle with lust, we’ll have to get painstakingly serious about it. Permit me to offer a few suggestions that will help.
First, learn how to walk daily with the Holy Spirit. Paul said that if we walk with the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). I take that as a bulletproof promise. Fellowship with the Spirit keeps us from sin. We must get to know Him. I recommend the late Charles Stanley’s book The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life, for starters.
Be unwavering in self-discipline. We should exercise our will as diligently as we exercise our bodies. If we can say “no” to a second helping of pasta, we can say “no” to anything that negatively impacts us spiritually. Dallas Willard used to say, “You should make yourself say ‘no’ to something every day just to stay in shape.”
Make wise choices. We can’t get hooked on drugs if we don’t use them, or become an alcoholic if we never drink it. We won’t commit sexual sin if we avoid sexually-tempting situations. Psychologist Henry Brandt used to tell the story of his son getting upset with him when he wouldn’t allow him to go out alone in a car with a girl down by the lake after dark. His son said, “What’s wrong, Dad? Don't you trust me?” Dr. Brandt said, “In a car alone at night in front of a lake with a beautiful girl? I wouldn’t trust me—why should I trust you?”
Don’t lie to yourself, friend. Always tell yourself the truth, and always be aware of your weaknesses; that’s the best way to be strong.
Develop great relationships; don’t live in isolation. Join a Group, connect with neighbors, spend quality time with family, kids, and grandkids. The deeper our relationships, the easier it becomes to say “no” to the things that will surely make roadkill out of our lives.
Thursday’s Reflection
Purity’s a lost value in today’s culture, yet Jesus clearly admonishes us here that we should get really serious about pursuing it. Job, who was called the most righteous man on Earth, said it well: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1). Perhaps that’s how a life serious about honoring God looks like. Think about that.
