Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
July 13, 2012

“Seduction Reduction” (Part 2)
“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.” – Proverbs 6:25 (NIV)

Lust is a curious thing…literally! In fact, that is what lust is—curiosity to the highest degree. When Jesus made the statement: ‘…anyone who looks at woman lustfully has [already] committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27, NIV), He was inferring that there is a point that goes beyond just the visual glance—the longing stare—that there is a point where desire is born and the thought of having that which is not yours to have begins. That is lust at its crest. To say that lust only applies sexually would be to take away its power upon the human mind and spirit. It goes far deeper than that! In fact, after I had finished yesterday’s message it dawned on me that I had only scratched the surface of what this verse (or passage) means and how we should apply it to our own lives. Not all of us are captivated so-to-speak by how others look. But what if there are other “lusts” out there that we tend to overlook? Shouldn’t we be aware of those as well? How about the lust for Power? Wealth? Recognition? Fame?
Would it be fair to say that more people have been seduced by these “beauties” than some sexual tryst that probably would never happen anyway? Power struggles have led to more wars than we have time to discuss at the cost of millions of lives. The desire for wealth has destroyed more marriages and relationships than adulterous relationships have! In fact, a 2008 article from Focus on the Family said that money problems, not sexual issues were the highest contributing factor in divorce among marriages in the United States. And then there is the harlot we will call Recognition! “Look at me!” “Listen to me!” “Give me your attention!” Those are just some of the ways this woman seduces her prey. And there are a number of people who fall into this category and the danger is that if no one pays attention (as they want) they simply increase the degree in the attempt to attract us toward them!
When we ministered a Church in Missouri, we had a young lady that truly epitomized this very thing. When she turned 16 she began a rebellious stage that went beyond annoyance—it was enough to pull one’s hair out! She and another young man took off one night and were gone for a couple of days. She then started creating “fainting” spells. She was skipping school. All of it was later determined (by her own admission) she was simply seeking some attention. Today, she is married to a wonderful young man with three beautiful children and is a leader in that same church where she caused so much trouble.
There are a number of these individuals in our churches that create situations for these very reasons—to have power—to get some recognition—attention. Not that we should ignore them, but these “lusts” must be taken care of before they destroy, both the ones under the power of these harlots as well as the Church!
Pastor J. T. Carnell