Youthful Lost

THE CRUSHING AGENT

An attribute that kills one while living is LUST. This is an attribute that gives birth to various sins which eventually lead to death. Lust can be said to be passion. Lusts or passions refer to cravings, longings or desire. Lust is a destructive desire. It is those wrongful desires that can allure us away from God and spiritual exercises. This is why Paul admonishes Timothy who 

was a youth to FLEE!

2 Timothy 2:22 KJV

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

To flee means to runaway, as from trouble or danger. As youths we are being admonished to flee from anything that can kill ones spiritual growth and destroy ones future.

Examples of youthful lust to flee from are:

v 
The Craving for Satisfaction of the physical appetite for food, alcohol, sex, money, pleasure, amusements.

The Cravings for Power. The desire to be number one, to compete, to dominate, to assert ones will and have control.

v  The Cravings for Possessions and the glory associated with having them.

 These youthful lusts stem from our sinful heart. This is why we are admonished to guard

our heart.

Effects of Destructive Desire

§  Time wasting

§  Inordinate affections

§  Separation from God

§  Loss of good opportunity

§  Unhealthy rivalry and competition

§  Obesity

§  Loneliness and emptiness

Ways to Overcome Youthful Lust

·         Flee – Run away from it just as Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife leaving his garment with her.

·         Follow after Godly desires such as Righteousness, Faith, Charity and Peace.

·         Let the Word of God dwell richly in you_ Col.3:16

·         Study the Word of God_ 2Timothy 2:15

·         Keep looking unto Jesus_ Hebrews 12:2

·         Read good Christian literature.

·         Listen to the preaching of anointed men of God.

·         Avoid situations, places and things and people that help intensify such Cravings.

·         Pray about Cravings that do not glorify God_ Eph.4:6, Philippians4:6, 2Cor.10:5

Godly desires to crave for as youths- Righteousness, Faith Charity and Peace. In our next issue we will be studying each Godly desire one after the other and reasons why we should desire them.

The bibles commands us to flee youthful lusts so that we may be vessels unto honor meet for the Masters use. Let’s not forget we are Gods workmanship. We are to be shining examples to the world for though we are in the world, we are not of the world.

Hebrews 12:1 KJV

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us , and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.