"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."
1 Peter 2:11
... I think that you can get a little war going on within yourself pretty easily. ... or a BIG war, of course. Any "fleshly lust" ... which I take to mean not only sexual addictions, but any addiction at all that drives you to an inner war. Because, of course, a lot of the scarier addictions are trying to fill the lack of some of the more basic needs... human contact, love, meaning, etc. We sometimes try to fill these needs through drugs or sex... or food, or sleep, or television... :) Whatever it is, whenever we try to satisfy a physical need in an inappropriate (as defined by God) way... then we throw ourselves into an inner turmoil, because our *spiritual* needs aren't being met. And when we try to fill our physical needs with something that doesn't really fill them (as above), then our physical needs aren't being met *either.* ... Which can lead to a pretty scary war within, especially if we continue to solve our problems with more problems and fill our inner voids with emptiness. It only exacerbates the problems, and makes the war bloodier. Spiritual and Physical both crying out in pain, and more and more of whatever your chosen addiction to try to stifle the cries. We may not know immediately how to fill the need in a good way, but I think it is pretty plain that the addiction (whatever it is) is not the answer. And, when we recognize that we are in an addictive cycle, then we can try to pull out of it. Avoid attempting to solve our problems in a way that has never worked... and start praying our guts out for something that *will* solve them. Instead of destroying ourselves from within, let us "Look to God and live." ... He has the answer to every question, and the cure for every ailment... as always. :)
1 Peter 2:11
... I think that you can get a little war going on within yourself pretty easily. ... or a BIG war, of course. Any "fleshly lust" ... which I take to mean not only sexual addictions, but any addiction at all that drives you to an inner war. Because, of course, a lot of the scarier addictions are trying to fill the lack of some of the more basic needs... human contact, love, meaning, etc. We sometimes try to fill these needs through drugs or sex... or food, or sleep, or television... :) Whatever it is, whenever we try to satisfy a physical need in an inappropriate (as defined by God) way... then we throw ourselves into an inner turmoil, because our *spiritual* needs aren't being met. And when we try to fill our physical needs with something that doesn't really fill them (as above), then our physical needs aren't being met *either.* ... Which can lead to a pretty scary war within, especially if we continue to solve our problems with more problems and fill our inner voids with emptiness. It only exacerbates the problems, and makes the war bloodier. Spiritual and Physical both crying out in pain, and more and more of whatever your chosen addiction to try to stifle the cries. We may not know immediately how to fill the need in a good way, but I think it is pretty plain that the addiction (whatever it is) is not the answer. And, when we recognize that we are in an addictive cycle, then we can try to pull out of it. Avoid attempting to solve our problems in a way that has never worked... and start praying our guts out for something that *will* solve them. Instead of destroying ourselves from within, let us "Look to God and live." ... He has the answer to every question, and the cure for every ailment... as always. :)
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