Love Vs. Lust

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. I John 2:17

    Somehow, I skipped over this day when reading The Love Dare earlier this year. Lust is nothing something that I have a problem with. My husband has had a problem with it (see this post for more on that), but I've never fallen into a lustful situation. I've always thought of lust as a sexual thing. It's more than just looking at a celebrity and commenting on his attractiveness. It's thinking about that celeb so much that you want the one you are with to be more like that person. I've never done that. Sure, I've stayed up to watch Michael Phelps swim in the Olympics and I've made a point to watch NCIS: Los Angeles because Chris O'Donnell stars in it. But that doesn't mean that I want my husband to be like them. In fact, there are a lot of things in their lives that I would not want to see in my husband's life. The only comparison I feel comfortable making between these men and my husband is this one: I want my husband to be as dedicated to his family as Chris O'Donnell is said to be.

    The Love Dare, though, defines lust a little differently. It is more than just drooling over a good looking man or woman. Lust is "a misguided thirst for satisfaction that only God can fulfill" (page 117). Wow. Put that way, I can see that I am so very wrong. Lust is definitely something that I have a problem with.

    God has recently brought to my attention an addiction that I have to food. I can see where that addiction can be considered as a form of lust. It sure is a way for me to find satisfaction. Not that I have found satisfaction through food….

    This morning, I can also see where this lust for food is harming my marriage. It's not something I feel at all comfortable talking to my husband about. This is a pretty big issue for me. Not being able to discuss a big issue with my husband puts up a wall in our marriage. It's like there is this whole part of me that he knows nothing about. How can I expect us to be close if there is a part of myself that I am holding back from him?