A young man, Amnon, was deeply in lust with his sister, Tamar. The lust was so much that it began to affect his composure and daily activities. He felt that getting that young woman could be the best thing that could happen to him. Lust can give a false or exaggerated interpretation of emotions!
He took counsel from an ungodly friend and executed their evil plan. He pretended to be sick and requested assistance from her father, the king. He raped her. He humiliated that innocent young woman. He violently took away her pride and dignity. She came around to help him because she thought that he was sick. After raping her he hated her with passion. The hatred was more than the lust that he felt for her initially. So he sent her away shamefully.
Eventually, Amnon would violently lose his life because of this evil that he did – because he couldn’t discern between love and lust. He couldn’t apply reason to his emotions. He walked in the flesh
To lust is to long for what is forbidden.
You lust when you desire to sleep with a woman or man to whom you are not married.
You lust when you desire to take over a property that is not yours by all means.
You lust when you desire to worship gods or get involved with false religion.
You lust when you desire (greedily) to have so much money through ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes.
You lust when you desire fame at the expense of people’s livelihood or rights.
To lust is to be carnally minded. “… to be carnally minded is death; …” (Romans 8:6 KJV)
Greed can fuel lust.
Wealth can fuel lust.
Poverty can fuel lust.
Value systems can fuel lust.
Customs and traditions can fuel lust.
Friends and acquaintances can fuel lust.
Certain societal norms or institutions can fuel lust.
The cure for lust is simple: “… Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 KJV). Walking in the Spirit begins with salvation. You cannot deal effectively with lust until you are saved. So, first, come to God and ask Him to forgive all your sins and receive you into His family. Then, ask Jesus into your life.
To be saved and walk with God is to be spiritually minded. “… to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6 KJV)