Lust
by Patrick Miller

Lust is an especially troublesome sin. After all, in the natural order, lust is often viewed as a virtue. In Greek mythology the lustful exploits of the gods were held in high esteem and represented the pinnacle of enjoyment of life and all pleasures. Even in the Old Testament, God allowed polygamy and other lustful practices until he could wean the chosen people away from those practices.

Lust is one of those sins which "cling so closely" that our only recourse is God's help and avoidance of situations which would tempt us to commit sin. Since we are naturally inclined to seek the earthy part of sexual pleasure, it is impossible for ourselves to be pure of thought.

When I feel tempted to lustful thoughts, I find it helpful to consider Mt 5:29: "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell." It is better to turn off the television set or change the station when some of those nearly pornographic commercials come on than to allow yourself to be tempted and come under the Lord's injunction in that passage. Likewise, it's usually better to avoid the R-rated movie than it is to put myself in an occasion of temptation.

Only with God's help, continual humble prayer and avoidance of situations that arouse us to lustful thought can we withstand the onslaught.