Lust is a powerful emotion that can destroy the most powerful man. Certainly lust is not confined to the relationship between a man and woman, but it seems to be the most clear expression of this affliction. Lust is overpowering and overwhelming so it is no wonder that so many have fallen to its whims.

The question, then, is this: when you are in the throws of lust how do you escape? Of course this is not a simple matter. Ask any young couple that has been alone for too long and you will hear, if they are brave enough to answer, about failed battles with lust. It seems, then, that overcoming lust is all about being on the offense.

By proactively planning one might avoid the battle and thus win a mighty victory. Certainly Gideon would have loved to take on the philistine army directly and win, but he knew that the math was not on his side in the slightest. God took him on a different route and he did not fight the battle at all, but one a mighty victory.

Had David been busy with his responsibilities he would have never caved to lust when he saw Bathsheba on the roof. Countless teen pregnancies would be avoided if students planned their time together wisely instead of trusting their own strength of will to avoid temptation.

In short, if you wish to overcome a battle with lust, whether it be sexual or in another form, then learn from the failings of millions. Do not enter the strong hold of lust, look the other way, think on Godly things, and seek wisdom. In avoiding the battle you will find victory.

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For one human being to love another that is perhaps the most difficult of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof; the work for which all other work is but preparation.

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Love is eternal where lust is temporary. This is a plain and apparent fact as easily seen as the nose on my face, which is quite noticeable from even a great distance. The problem comes when one confuses love and lust. Often people claim to be “in love” only to “fall out of love,” but in truth they were “in lust” which is as easy to fall in to as it is to fall out of. Consider the relationship between a parent and child. This should be our basis for understanding love because it is our first experience with love. Each party must fail severely and often before love might fail. Parents who truly love their children do so regardless of the choices the child has made and regardless of how painful those choices might be. Often terrible parents are loved by their children regardless of how much it hurts for that love to not be returned. Imagine if all relationships were so pursued.

Since love will always outlast lust, the lover must take time for lust to fade so that love might grow just as a great tree must grow slowly until the weeds around it die and it can be in full sun and grow great and true; then nurture that love through respect and care. Only after those first joys of lust have passed will a couple experience true love in their relationship, the kind of love that exists beyond the hurt and pain.

It is also true that love is patient and perseveres in all things. This is why waiting for love is the only way a relationship may endure. Often a person says to another, “If you love me you will …” but the truth is that if love exists, it will be patient and forgiving. Lust demands instant gratification where love will carry through to the end. Lust is a sprinter that expends all his energy in seconds while Love is in a marathon race and she knows to keep an even pace throughout so she will not tire too quickly or stumble in the many rough places along the way.

This is why so many relationships fail, love gets confused with lust. When those feelings of joy and giddiness fade the energy of lust is spent while love is just getting started. Love must be given time to grow in the absence of lust or it will never reach its maturity. This is a difficult process because lust is passionate and intense driving a couple to spend time together where love is kind and gentle liberating a couple to their own interests. In this, individuals growing in love must overcome themselves and spend time with their love so they might experience a deeper understanding of love. If the lover were to say to the beloved, “I just do not love you anymore,” the lover is lost in confusion. The lover meant to say, “I no longer lust after you.” Love is an endless ocean and lust is a desert wash. The rain will cause the wash to overflow and rage intensely but once the water has flown into the ocean the wash cracks with the desert heat. Follow the water into the ocean and love will never run dry.

In this season of love, consider that love gives while lust takes. Take the time to seek out the gifts of love. The gifts of love are not available at the store but can only be found in time, empathy, and compassion. These true gifts thrive in love but suffocate in lust. When you look into those special eyes and say, “I love you” please do not lie to your heart.

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