Eliminating the Sins of Craving by Wanting... MORE

In these weeks, we have been looking at how God can overcome selfish desire, because He offers so much more. Particularly, we have been looking at how Greed makes people slaves, but how He offers freedom - even to give sacrificially. Last week, we looked how Indulgence (or Gluttony) makes people addicts, but how He offers true satisfaction. This week, we will look at how Lust consumes and alienates people, but how God offers communion and community.

These are the sins of appetite. Our normal needs to acquire those things we need daily, to enjoy those things, and to experience intimacy -- these needs God created us with get warped by the lies from the Enemy and so common in our world's thinking and advertising into the sin traps of Greed, Gluttony, and Lust. And so we crave - to such an unhealthy extent that they become "little gods" that we worship. Our "wanting, wanting, wanting" (as Eugene Peterson puts it) takes us away from God - and He is the Only One who can offer TRUE fulfillment.

Well, what's the answer? How can we get control of our sin-influenced appetites? How can we be the master of our cravings?

I know we talked about this Sunday, but I want to reinforce what I see God saying to us from the pages of the Bible. Remember, He loves us - He wants the best, the very best, for us.

So, again, HOW can we get control of our crazy craving, craving, craving?

1. Well, the world says, "Why bother? Give in! Go on, you deserve it!! Come on, it can't hurt. You want it, go ahead. Obey your thirst! Feed your crave! Get the best in fashion! You want it, go get it! That's the drive of progress!"

We have already seen where this goes: to destruction. The Bible is clear that "giving in" to our wanting, over and over again, makes us slaves to money and addicts to our appetites. This is not the way to LIFE.

2. What if we eliminate desire? Many philosophers over the centuries have claimed that this is the way to true fulfillment, or more accurately, enlightenment or awareness. Some say Buddhism and Stoicism essentially teach this.

Does it work? If we don't want, maybe then we can be happy?

I don't think it works. When God says in Genesis 2, "it is not good for man to be alone", He recognizes that this human He has created has a need - in fact, I believe the Scriptures teach that man has several key emotional needs. And all of those needs can be fulfilled in a passionate pursuit of God Himself, together with other followers of Jesus. "You will seek me and find me when you seek with all your heart," says God (Jeremiah 29:13).

Remember, Jesus doesn't just say "Deny yourself". He says "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me" (Mark 8:34, paraphrase). When we follow Him, when we seek Him, He gives us the wonder and joy of closeness with God. And then adds everything else!

3. Which leads to what is God's way. Check out these Bible verses:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV)

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4, NIV)

Jesus, quoting Moses, tells us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as much as ourself? Why? So we could turn into bored and boring people? He wants to give us so much wonder and joy we can't possibly imagine it! But we MUST put Him first - first in our day, first in our home, our job, our play.

He has so much for us! We usually don't want "the good stuff" enough.

Jo and Lisa both love this quote from C.S. Lewis, and I quote it here, because it speaks to the typical situation of our heart:

"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

When we want Him, and really seek Him as our delight, the other craves fall away to their proper place, and He takes care of us. He really does. The more we seek Him, the more we will KNOW that HE IS GOOD.