starve the dog

Now before all you dog lovers out there are ready to lynch me, hear me out...

I took a trip to Va to visit Lou and Tab a couple of weeks ago (mentioned in an earlier post). While I was gone, Jesus and I had some sweet talks about life. Amidst all our put togetherness we emulate in our society, there always drifts a current beneath the surface in each one of us. It's the darker less glamourous side of us that we'd rather not admit exists, and yet the irony is that we're all so common in our struggles that we might actually surprise each other.

While I'm aware that my own parents might be reading this blog, I'm still going to venture out and talk about lust. It's something that we all struggle with, whether it be sexual, pining after things or possessions, or wanting something or someone you are not intended to have. It has ruined many men, women, nations, relationships, lives, and the like. And yet, we still have a love/hate relationship with the thing and let it seed deeply into our selves and our lives.

I was recently awakened to the conviction that the germation of this lustful seed will actually be prohibitory and stunting in my ability to truly enjoy a healthy relationship with a boy of my liking and choosing. Instead of living in joy, freedom, and peace simply being with him, I would find myself enduring an internal spiritual battle of flesh-vs-spirit.

Paul, in Galatians 6: 16-17 talks about it like this...

"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions."

Six summers ago I had to priviledge of leading two large groups of teens to Mexico for a week each. Both amazing, life changing trips for them and me; I'll never forget what my friend Kevin shared one evening atop a hill in Monterrey, Mexico. He said that these two parts of you fighting are like two dogs being trained for a dog fight. Whichever one you feed, you nuture, you train, you attend to, that's the dog that's gonna win. If you ignore, neglect, and starve one of the dogs, for certain, that one will lose. Miserably. Am I feeding the dog of my Spirit or the dog of my flesh?

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." vs 24

I need to starve the dog of my flesh.

Why? Because "anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. And the Spirit will not guide your lives." vs 16 & 21