Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: Appetite
- Appetite: We all have needs that need to be filled. When we allow ourselves to be filled with the people and things that God brings into our life, we will be satisfied because our In will be in proper focus. But when we try to fill ourselves with our own desires we end up frustrated by an insatiable hunger.
Yesterday
I put the talk about adultery on hold.
Today we have an excellent chance to pick it up. But as I read through God’s Word and the
commentary that I wrote three years ago I came across a concept that I want to
bring forward. There is an inherent
difference between an act of prostitution and an act of adultery. Of course, both are sin. But prostitution is a business deal in which
both parties understand what is being exchanged. Prostitution is about money for the
prostitute and about a sexual experience for the buyer. There is no relationship or expectation
beyond the moment.
On the
other hand, adultery is a completely different beast. Adultery is about the search for
relationship. Adultery is about a
continued pattern of behavior apart from marriage. Adultery is a person’s pursuit for
relationship outside of marriage. Yet,
it is a pursuit that can never be ultimately fulfilling. That is what makes adultery far more
dangerous than prostitution. Adultery
baits us with the promise of something deeper and more meaningful but it can
never live up to that promise.
In the
end, this is a wonderful time to talk about appetite. If you read through Proverbs 7, you can
really see how this is a story of appetite.
The adulteress prepares herself.
She prepares her bed. She goes
out on the hunt for a man that she can lure back to her bed and consume. The adulteress is looking for a man who is
likewise unable to control his appetite.
Naturally,
when we give in to our appetite because we are unable to control it we get
ourselves into trouble. When we allow
our appetite for anything to control us we find ourselves pursuing things that
cannot fulfill us on a deep level. When
our appetite is in charge, we lose control of aspects of our life and find
ourselves making poor decisions.
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