LUST

I don't care if you are a male or female, we all struggle with this sin. I know, males should be more concern but it is a important matter for both genders.


Lust/Lechery is the intense DESIRE which is usually stereotyped as a sexual aspect. But that is not all it is capable of. It can be the desire for fame, power, etc...But how come Lust is mostly associated with the sex than the others? It is mostly because it is our most innate behavior that has become corrupted by us. Just like animals, we mate so we can pass our genes to the next generation. In a way, people don't want to be forgotten so they leave their legacy onto their children. Compare to power and money, it can be left behind by itself as part of our memoir. As a result, this is how the idea of sex has been perceived, but it became more perverse.  Overall, lust is not only categorize with sex, it applies to anything we desire to an unhealthy degree.

Examples of how we made Lust a deadly sin can be seen in our history. In many cases, there were societies that flaunt their lust. Especially the Greek and Romans, which was the center of the sex life. Look at their Gods and Goddesses....Aphrodite the goddess of love was classified as "The Most Beautiful" and did not let her beauty go to waste. She slept with a number of Gods and men, even though she had a husband. Even her priest and priestess were classified as prostitutes. Through this prime example, lust seem to be more of a norm in this society. It was not uncommon to see sex in public.

Sexuality is not a bad but it is the acts of being sexual arouse that is against the will of God. The Bible says not to commit adultery or covet with a neighbors wife in the ten commandments. In many of the verses it can also be called fortification which means sex with two unmarried people. Even Jesus says that adultery can be done just be looking. So: not married = no sex ! This is what God is trying to say, that only have sex with your spouse, once you are married. Do Not have sex with your girlfriend/boyfriend or sex friend.  Since there is someone out there who is our missing half. Just like Adam and Eve, Eve was made from Adam's sides, and God saw this was beautiful. We are suppose to be connected with our special someone, our missing side. Until the two are connected through marriage, that is when sex become a beautiful thing.

However, it is not an easy thing to ignore our sexual appetite. Lust has been present since the beginning of time that it became a demon. The demon of Lust was Asmodeus. His followers, or lower demons, are Succubus or Incubus. They give pleasure while consuming the human. This eventually gave birth to mythical creatures like sirens and harpies. Both are evil, dragging sailors to their deaths or snatching them from the skies.

In other texts, not in the Bible, describes the consequences of Lust in Hell. In Dante's "Divine Comedy" he gives vivid descriptions about Hell and Heaven, which were from his dream. In Hell, people who are consume with lust are in a fiery wind that whips them in the air and it does not stop. Similar to a roller coaster, definitely not a ride you want to get on. It is to symbolize the power of lust has over people. In Purgatory. they are consume by flames to be like how they lusted for others. Through these descriptions, this is how lust has a hold on us. We keep being lustful once we think about it, and sometimes we don't know when to stop. However, there are ways to take control of this turbulent sin.

There are many examples of Lust, its everywhere. But the most memorable for me is from the Disney movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Frollo was part of the church but was soon corrupted by the gypsy Esmeralda. He wasn't a bad man at first, he took in the deformed Quasimodo (probably not seen as nice in the Disney movie). But he meets Esmeralda and soon becomes infatuated with her. Love at first sight. But he goes so far into Lust that he burns towns to find her. He lusted for her so much that he lost who he was in the beginning. 

I struggle with Lust, not as severe as others, but it does effect my life and thinking. I try to sweep it under the carpet, however, it keeps rearing its head up. It can never goes down, especially with the Internet making everything easily accessible. But this feeling is not a bad thing, I just need patience and the brain to make right decisions. I tried a couple of months of not using the Internet and it was so refreshing. It was like my body got rid of all the dirt that was piling up on my skin. But, there I couldn't live like that for the rest of my days. 

There are many ways and therapies to recover ourselves from Lust. In the past, devoted followers would burn their hands to shift their focus on the pain than desires. Thankfully, we realize that we don't have to go through this painful experience. Instead there are solutions that can help us with recovery in the long term which benefits our lives and relationships. Some solutions, the opposite of lust is Chasity part of the 7 Heavenly Virtues. The act of sexual behavior that is morally acceptable, in our society. In a way, it means abstinence. However, this is not the only solution, sometimes this solution is not enough.

• First, SLOW DOWN, you may get caught up in the moment. That is what lust does, when a person is sexually arouse they lose their cognitive abilities. This means we fail to make the right decisions. 
• CHANGE, whether it be limit yourself on the Internet for doing private business or just occupying the time with something else. 

In the end, we have to admit there is a problem that we have with Lust. And just talking with someone you trust about your desires can be a big step to healing. Accountability can give you great strength when you feel like you hit rock bottom.

We see that Lust is a desire that God did not chose to give to us YET. Which is how Lust seems to get out of control, we are more concentrated on us instead of God's plan. Similar to a spoiled child, who wants everything on their Christmas list. Our behaviors are not bad but appear at the wrong time.