Slavery to desire

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).

Are you a slave to desire? Do you stare every time you see an attractive person walking nearby? Do you find it impossible to leave a store without making a purchase? Do you have a hard time staying home from the bar or keeping out of the refrigerator? Is making money the most important thing in your life?

It is natural to feel attraction for the opposite sex; we were designed to pair up and form families. But sexual desire causes problems when it pulls your attention away from the person you’re committed to; that person will either feel betrayed or unappreciated. Left unchecked, your desire can ruin your most intimate relationships.

We all benefit from the fruits of civilization—cars get us to work faster, household appliances free up more time from chores to spend with family, television links us to the wider world around us. But filling your life with stuff can isolate you—is text messaging and watching TV really better than face to face time with loved ones? And constant spending can get in the way of saving for the future; what good is a closet full of fashionable clothes when you can’t afford needed medical care?

Sitting down to a meal with loved ones is a blessing—Jesus even pictured heaven as a banquet. Wine is an excellent beverage for fellowship with friends; Jesus even used wine as part of the Last Supper. But eating to excess can ruin your health; drinking to excess can result in comments that should never have been made.

Money is our way of getting what we need. But when making money is our greatest passion, problems follow. There is reluctance to donate to charity. There is temptation to do anything to get more money, even if it involves methods that are unethical, illegal, or immoral. Some people even measure successfulness in life by the amount of their assets, instead of by the quality of their character or the quality of their relationships.

Everything we have is ours only because of God’s generosity. God gives us what we need and more besides, and He does so purely out of love for us. It is foolishness to devote more love and attention to the gifts than to the loving God who gives them.