Baz Gascoyne talks honestly on dealing with lust



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Matthew Fitzgerald said "lust is especially dangerous because it causes a man to think with his crotch and throw all reason and logic to the wind".

I read recently that one of the reason's men get into the world of fantasy is down to anger. If you struggle with fantasising could it be you are angry over something and this anger caused you to look somewhere else rather than face the realty of your anger and the cause of it?

"We live in a fantasy world. A world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality" Iris Murdoch

Reality is the quality or state of being actual or true. So for us to find reality in our lives it will mean us being truthful to ourselves, God and some mates about what we run to when we want our escapism fix. Films, surfing the channels late at night when your house mates or your wife is upstairs in bed. Or is it the internet, magazines or even smoking some weed that brings some pleasure or relaxation as you begin the journey of hiding from the truth?

"Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become reality" Earl Nightingale

Proverbs 23:7 reads: "As we think, we are"

When the disciples asked Jesus "teach us how to pray?" one aspect of the prayer was 'lead us not into temptation'.

Temptation: something that seduces or has the quality to seduce. The desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid.

Let's not wait until we can see or taste temptation before we cry out "help" to God, let's ask Him not to let us get anywhere near it and recognise it quickly when it appears and run from our youthful desires as Paul encourages us to do no matter how young or old we are, just get the hell out of that place!

My favourite hymn is 'O Jesus I have promised'. Just read these amazing words and use them as your prayer to God, today:

O Jesus I have promised to serve thee to the end
Be thou for ever near me my Master and my Friend:
I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side
Nor wander from the pathway if thou wilt be my Guide

O Let me feel Thee near me; the world is ever near
I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me, around me and within
But Jesus draw thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin

O Let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still
Above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self will
O speak, to reassure me, to chasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen, Thou guardian of my soul

O Jesus, thou hast promised, To all who follow Thee,
That where Thou art in glory there shall thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end
O give me grace to follow my Maker and my Friend.
John Ernest Bode 1816-74

Fifteen years ago this December Linda and I and guests sang this at our wedding where I made a promise to my wife Linda that I would be always faithful to her and never leave her.

Well, this will only happen as I choose to continue to live in reality and not fantasy and when I do go down the road of fantasy quickly realise how dangerous this is and get myself right with God again and quickly return to the world of reality. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.