I CRAVE SUGAR!

What do you CRAVE? 

As a diabetic, I CRAVE SUGAR. In reality, I crave ICE CREAM the most. My GO TO Ice Cream is a HOT FUDGE SUNDAE with BANANAS. It is my favorite and there are times I crave it. I love the medicine I am on because it is the first medicine I have ever been on that CURBS MY CRAVINGS for sugar, carbs, and all things harmful to my body. My blood sugar has never been better. CURBING my cravings has changed my health outlook. I CRAVE other things as well, beyond FOOD. I crave riding my motorcycle. I just love the joy of being on the open road, taking a couple of twisty roads and enjoying the wind. I often call it WIND THERAPY. CRAVINGS CAN BE UNHEALTHY and separate us from GOD.

I also crave peace, joy, and a lazy day with nothing on the schedule, no worries, no rush, no schedule, no appointments, just ME TIME. 

If you look at my BRIEF list of things I crave. Some are good and some are not so good. Today I was reading 1 John and came across this scripture:

"Do not love this world nor the tings it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will love forever." (1 John 2:15-17, NLT)

The word craving here is often translated LUST. I think for us the word CRAVE hits closer to home. I often think of lust as being only sexual. And while that is certainly a part of John's point, it is NOT the only thing we crave. The key part of the definition of this greek word is that these CRAVINGS are harmful to us. My craving for SUGAR is harmful to me. While I do not necessarily look at the craving for WIND THERAPY as harmful, but it could be harmful. Any craving that interferes with us and our relationship with the LORD is NOT good for us. In this scripture John says PRIDE IN OUR ACHIEVEMENTS and POSSESSIONS are a part of CRAVING, or UNHEALTHY LUSTS. 

WHAT DO YOU CRAVE? I have friends that crave SPORTS. They live for the NFL or college season. I know some people that CRAVE, CARS, MOTORCYCLES, CERTAIN MUSIC, or TRAVEL. My question thought today is this:

"IS it possible to have an UNHEALTHY CRAVING for a GOOD THING?"

I know some people who are completely obsessed with their FAMILY, or their KIDS. CAN THAT TURN INTO A BAD THING? Can we have an UNHEALTHY CRAVING for CHURCH, or SERVING OTHERS?

I don't want these thoughts to keep people from serving or church or family, or their kids. However, IF these desires overtake our CRAVING for the FATHER, they certainly could turn from being healthy. We could devote all our time to the CHURCH and have a lukewarm relationship with JESUS. We could working serving people, which is a great thing to do. But HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER? 

Anything we do in life COULD become an UNHEALTHY, LUSTFUL, CRAVING that draws us away from the Father. We need to reflect, check our motives, don't just make SERVING, or the CHURCH your IDOL. 

WHAT DO YOU CRAVE? IS IT HELPFUL IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?