Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Love Dare - Day 24: Love vs. Lust

The grass is always greener on the other side.

I am sure that you have heard that before right? Well, guess what - that grass has to be mowed too. And, truth be told, if you got to that side of the fence and treated that grass the way you treat the grass you have now, eventually it will be the same shade of green! Life is what you put into what you have, not what you hope to have someday.

That million dollar house on the hill, the one you have had your eye on for years, still has to be cleaned (and how many more square feet of floors to be mopped are there?!?!), decorated and - even worse - PAYED FOR! Home is where your heart is ... where is YOURS?

And, that movie star you have had a crush on forever, he or she has morning breath too. And mood swings, temper tantrums, bad days, bad HAIR days, and the list goes on. Sure, they look good on the screen (hellooooooo, makeup artists!) and on the magazine cover (can you say AIRBRUSH?!?!), but what do they look like in real life, first thing in the morning? Probably not at all like what you are thinking!!! Love is what you choose to stand by no matter what! Lust is what you look for to satisfy your here and now...


"The world is passing away, and also it's lusts; but the one who does the will of God, lives forever." 1John 2:17



Have you ever wondered what was so tempting about that stinkin' apple in the Garden of Eden? I mean, c'mon, Adam and Eve had. it. all. They were face to face friends with God, had their choice of ANYTHING else to eat, and they lived in THE GARDEN OF EDEN!!! They had a perfect life, and they threw it away for a single bite of the one thing that was forbidden. Oh, sure, you could say that EVE threw it away, but, we all know that Adam took a bite too!!! And what did it get them? Nothing but pain. Pain that, thank you very much, we have all had to live with ever since!

Well, we do the same thing. Every day we are faced with our forbidden temptations, and every day we give in - if only in our minds. We are not satisfied with the body we have been given, we want to look like the magazine cover (heck, even THEY want to look like they look on the magazine cover!!). We want our home to look like the cover of Better Homes and Gardens - because, hello, it is "BETTER"!!! Says so right there on the magazine! There is always something out there that is better or bigger or faster or prettier or .... you get the point. The thing about that is, when we get the better thing, there is something better than THAT out there too! It is a never ending cycle of want and lust.

What we need to realize is this - life will never satisfy. Nothing on this earth will ever be enough. And, do you wanna know why? Because this life is not what we were created for. This earth is not our true home. We were created for the Garden of Eden, and we blew it. Thankfully, Jesus paid our penalty and served our sentence and bought our ticket back into perfection ... only this time, it will be Heaven. Thing is, we have to accept the ticket that He offers. We have to look past all of the temptation and find the one TRUE and REAL offer of something better.

In the meantime, while we are here on earth, we have all that we need. HE is all that we need. We just have to realize that and be satisfied with that.

When you married your mate, you chose that one person above all others. You promised to love and honor that person - and that person alone - until death do you part. That promise does not become null and void because you THINK you have found something better, bigger, prettier, etc... Truth is, love is what you CHOOSE to make it. So, make it a promise that you keep. If looking at the other side of the fence makes you question the choice you have made, then STOP LOOKING!!!! It is that simple. And it is up to you!

I will say it again, it is up to you.

You do, however, have a weapon against the temptation. It is in the same person that faced, and fought off, every temptation know to man. His name is Jesus. Call on Him to help you wage the war against your own demons.


TODAY'S DARE
End it NOW. Identify every object of lust in your life and remove it. Single out every lie you've swallowed in pursuing forbidden pleasure and reject it. Lust cannot be allowed to live in a back bedroom. It must be killed and destroyed - TODAY - and replaced with the sure promises of God and a heart filled with His perfect love."


And, after you have cast out all of the objects of your lust, let God remind you of all that He has given you and the love that He has Blessed your life with - your spouse! Look for the things that you first fell in love with - in your house, your car, your life and, especially, your mate. You may realize just how very green your own grass really is!

Remember, I am praying for you!! See ya tomorrow!

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