We’ve all been there. Perhaps it’s late at night or in the middle of the day: that craving for a decadent dessert. As we try to resist, the coveting intensifies – it’s as if we could almost taste the sweet goodness on our tongues! In my own diets I’ve discovered it’s not just the dessert I miss but the unbridled passion of loosening all restrictions and just diving in to a bowl of sweet abandonment and worry. It’s (temporarily) a relief and a respite from all my problems. It creates a feeling like nothing else.
But what if I told you that very feeling we pine for so was actually never supposed to have been felt to begin with? If gluttony isn’t your specific temptation, you can substitute it with your particular hang up. Does self pride push you? Do passing glances from someone other than your spouse make you crave more? Left CHECKED, all these issues aren’t more than a mere annoyance. But unbridled? They can lead to effects that rival death. Just ask King David.
The problem with unbridled passions is they always lead to feelings we were never supposed to know. And then what? Those passions leave us wanting what we were never meant to have. The pursuit of (or the fight against) the forbidden fruit has begun, an endless cycle of wanting and feeding or wanting and starving has begun. Pandora’s box has been unleashed.
“So what then?” you might ask. “How does that help?” Just KNOWING the very thing or feeling that we find ourselves craving we were never supposed to know helps us keep our perspective. “Yes, this feels overwhelming because that is something I was never supposed to feel/know” helps us keep our balance. It serves as a spiritual boundary line. So, what do we do? Well, what would we do if we were a child with a burden too heavy? Yes, we would ask our Father or a friend for help. Friend, our heavenly Father is not surprised when we struggle. As a matter of fact, He stands ready and waiting to help us – sometimes through angels and fellow believers to help us lift our load. A simple, “Father, this is too much for me. Please send help,” prayer is all we need to get the ball rolling. Even though we might not see the earth shake or the lightning shake, this simple request sets forth a spiritual battle in our favor. As in 2 Kings 6 when Elisha asked the Lord to open the man’s eyes so he could see all the fiery hosts of heaven surrounding them, so we too have the same. So many times we feel we should not ask for anything. “God is too busy,” or “This isn’t that important,” we might think. But God is not human, friend. God is God! He is infinitely more than we can even imagine! He longs to hear it all! So give it to Him – test Him in these areas and see if He doesn’t open the floodgates ot protection and mercy! He stands ready. All we have to do is ask.
Sweet Mimosa 