LUST

 Lust is the direct opposite of LOVE. We often hear how couples share their story on how they meant and all of that. And in some cases you'll hear it was "Love at first sight".

Let it be clearly stated, there is nothing like "love at first sight". Whatever you felt might probably have been out of your own desires based on what you saw or might have seen.

Behind every love apart from the one of our saviour Jesus Christ, they are selfish. Something is always attached to it. "Barry Edosomwan".

When they say love at first sight, they make it seem like love is a magical thing, and all the tingling feelings like butterflies in the stomach.

Love is a deliberate thing (when it comes to the aspect of choosing the person you want to spend the rest of your life with). Other than this, it is not. Because the Bible says in James 2:8 "If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as we love thyself , ye do well" (KJV). So it is compulsory you love others as you love yourself because the Bible says so.

Here is a question for you...

Would you willingly cut your ear just so, not to hear gossips or rumours?

Or would you willingly blind your eyes, so you won't see a beautiful lady or a beautiful house?

What is best to do, is try to avoid situations that will create such events (awful), and this will eventually prevent LUST from happening, but only with the help of the Holy Spirit. Though there are certain persons that will do this (cut of their ears, or pluck out their eyes), just so that they won't sin. Acting in accordance to Matthew 18:8. And also the kind of friends you move with, matters here too. 

Proverbs 27:17 says "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend" (KJV).

LUST is what the flesh feels at that particular moment in time. And this is what we refer to most times as LOVE. 

LUST is more like desires, just that this desires has become very intense and deep resulting in lust.

Desires can be controlled, but when we fail to control our desires it leads to lust, which in turn becomes a sin in the sight of God.

So the first fact to be stated here will be;

Lust is a deeper and intense version of desires.

So let's see what the Bible says concerning LUST.

James 1:13-15 says "Let no man say he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (KJV).

The Bible says it all. Your temptations comes from your lust and never from God Almighty. It (the Bible) even further shows the stages of how LUST progresses. From LUST comes sin, and from sin when it is  fully matured brings death.

This is one of the reasons for the high rate of ;

1. Rape,
2. Murder,
3. Kidnapping and so many others

It started with just a little desire,  

"Oh what a nice house"

"Oh what a beautiful girl"

"Oh what  a wealthy man".

These little thoughts if not gotten rid of in time by the help of the Holy Spirit will escalate (expand) into something bigger. We all have filthy thoughts in one way or the other whether be it a minister or not. 

No single man is perfect, it's who we are. But the Holy Spirit is always there to guide us through the way, which now makes us appear and look perfect (that's where grace comes in).

Proverbs 4:23 says "Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts" (Good News Bible).

Whatever crimes or immoralities in the society today, all started from a single thought.

And so we establish the second fact;

Lust is not a one day desire. It takes gradual process for it's  full maturity.

The same Bible says in Proverbs 20:5 "A person's thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out" (Good News Bible).

The man of insight, is the man of understanding. And this alone comes from the Holy Spirit.

And here comes the third fact;

Desire is not a sin, but when it becomes too deep and alarming it becomes lust (which is a sin).

We all desire good things like;

• To marry one day,
• To live in our dream houses,
• To have a car of our own,
• To give birth to children too.

But when you become too desperate to accomplish all these things by all means possible, whether it is in accordance with God's standards or not, it becomes a sin (lust). 

And hence, you tend to put your hands into inquiry at the expense of pleasing yourself and displeasing your creator (God).

This is one of the reasons why Matthew 6:33 says "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" (KJV).

Now, what are all these things the Bible is referring to? They are simply the things we desire such as

1. The good health
2. The long life
3. The prosperity
4. The houses
5. The cars
6. The life partner and so many.

So please be guided. And through this write up we have established that;

There is nothing like love at first sight.

Love is a deliberate thing. Like a choice (as regards choosing a life partner).

It takes the Holy Spirit to guide us through the ways of temptations (lust).

Lust is not just a sexually related thing only. 

Theft is also lust (out of greed) and some could possibly be as a result of a very bad spirit. Even when they have excess, there are persons that will still steal. So don't be surprised.

So please always be in communion with the Holy Spirit and he will see you through. Amen.