Lust

In the foothills of the Northern Cascades, lush pasture land is surrounded by dark forests. In this borderland existance, a good working dog is more than just man’s best friend – he serves as sheperd to man’s livelihood. One of the saddest things to observe in this setting is the methodical slaughter of a working dog by a pack of coyotes. They rarely lead a frontal attack. Instead, they’ll send one of the pack out into the shadows to play a little back-and-forth game of tag. The working dog is initially very careful to stay close to the safety of his land, but with each chase grows decreasingly aware that this back-and-forth dance is moving incrementally farther into the forest. Eventually, the dog finds himself deep in the darkness, too far from home, and surrounded.

Lust attacks us in the same way. Lust is desiring something that we cannot have. By definition, lust can never be attained. It attaches itself to something or someone and lures us to the chase. Once we reach far enough to grasp it, lusts shifts to something else beyond our grasp. As we compromise with the lusts of the flesh, we begin a methodical and incremental escalation – a back-and-forth dance with the enemy.

I would suspect that very few Christians purposely set out to wreck their fellowship with God and destroy their witness to the world. More likely the journey begins with small lapses in their trust of God – a financial fib, a retained offense, a harbored thought, a second glance, or perhaps even a ministry void of God’s call and provision bolstered in pride and self-righteousness. Eventually, we find ourselves in the dark, far from home, and surrounded.

Lust will never deliver. The grass is not greener on the other side. Let it go. You are so valuable to God and His Kingdom. Find your value and life’s desire in Him and He will fulfill. Trust Him.

If you find yourself at the end of lust’s dance, don’t quit, don’t surrender, and don’t pretend to be a coyote. Turn and run. Bruised and chewed, run home to your Father who loves you. Contrary to the enemy’s words, you are not the sum of your bad choices. You are a holy child of God redeemed in the blood of Christ and sealed for eternity in the Holy Spirit. Do not hesitate! Turn! Do not look back! Run! Come home!