Lust

We’ve been working through the 10 commandments in our youngadult ministry.  When we hit the 8^thone, we read how Jesus describes its true meaning:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commitadultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully hasalready committed adultery with her in his heart.”  (Matthew 5:27)

All of a sudden the 8^th commandment got much,much harder for our 20-somethings group to follow.

I was eating lunch this week with a young adult who said hefinally gave up “P&M”.  He said it ina nonchalant way, as if I should know what he meant.  After a few moments of him talking, I interrupted.

“What’s P&M?”

“You know,” he replied, “porn and masturbation.” 

“Oh.”

One of the problems with lust is that it dehumanizes theobject.  It objectifies.  It takes that which is loved by God andtreats it as if it were an inanimate object…like dirt or trash.  It not only dehumanizes the object of lust,it does the same to the person lusting. I love the way the author of the Proverbs put it: “For on account of aharlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread.” (6:26).  Lust puts you on the pathto becoming less human.

For some more reading on the subject, check out this post.