Every once in a while I read a passage that I have read before, usually several times. I am pretty sure I have a good understanding of it, have applied it to my life, yet when read with a new set of eyes, new questions come to mind. Surely I am not alone in this experience, am I?

So, I was reading 1 John 2 when I came across verse 16:

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (NAS)

How many times had I read this chapter? Why was I repeatedly drawn back to this verse today? What was God trying to show me? Hmmm…What exactly is spirit of the flesh?

I know that those who focus on the things in this verse cannot have a deep relationship with God, because their focus is elsewhere. Satan uses these things to trap us in an attempt to render us under his control. For some reason the more the more I thought about “lust of the flesh” the more examples in my own life came to mind. For example, I recalled when I was whining about not having any floors in our kitchen and dining rooms, how jealous I felt when I saw someone else’s website and coveted the resources to have one like it, and even the time I wanted that Vera Bradley handbag and wallet so much, I found myself artfully justifying how and why I should spend the money on it. WoW! Maybe you have had some of these types of lustful thoughts as well. Lust of the flesh is the desiring of things that please us physically. This is a reflection of our old nature hanging on to us.

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. ~Phillipians 3:15

In this verse we are given great hope! To combat lust of the flesh we need to use discernment. Our discernment is honed with wisdom, which is achieved with prayer and study. As women, lust of the flesh can come in so many forms and from so many angles. The temptations to succumb to those lusts bombard us daily, don’t they? Throughout the course of one day there are billboards, magazine ads, internet ads, commercials, movie trailers, large cardboard shelf ads, and this just scratches the surface of it. 1 John 2:14 also lets us know that we are strong in Christ and can achieve victory over the emotional trappings of the world. Working with God on our discernment will also produce contentment and that is one of the best weapons to combat our old self’s nagging for the lusts of the flesh. This is not to say we stop buying things, pack our families up and move to a remote corner of the world. It simply means that we use great care each time we are faced with the decision to make a purchase.

What an outstanding example of how God has given to us so abundantly! Amazing how we keep coming across His abundant giving, isn’t it? He gives us all the weapons we need and the tools to hone them to be wise women of decisions. When we make wise decisions we benefit, to be sure, but our husbands and children benefit as well! Even our friends will reap benefits from witnessing our decision making process.

This week, won’t you join me in dancing in celebration of God’s spectacular resources for living?