“The
world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God
lives forever.” 1 John 2:17
“Desire”
is a difficult emotion to pin down because disciples must think in terms of
what “desire” is leading us toward. Everyone has needs, legitimate needs;
but we must always be on guard against trying to fulfill these legitimate needs
in illegitimate ways. We must also understand those needs from their
source. What need are we seeking to fulfill and why? This
determines the difference between “lust” and “love” because “lust” seeks
self-fulfillment; “lust” always has an ulterior motive. “Love”, on the
other hand, seeks the well-being of others. “Love” gives of itself with
no mind toward getting something in return. “Love” will empty itself
completely just as our Lord literally bled to death upon the Cross.
St.
John is pointing out that “lust” is self-destructive. Because “lust” can
only feed on itself, its source will soon be spent and will dry up; there won’t
be anything left. “Lust”, then, becomes predatory and must ultimately
destroy in order to feed itself. “Love” does not seek to feed itself but
seeks to feed others. When we give of ourselves, we find much more given
without our even having to ask.
The
Church must get past the notion that “lust” is purely about sex or that “lust
of the flesh” is strictly about coveting a neighbor’s spouse. “Lust”
causes us to withhold ourselves, our gifts, our talents, and our treasures from
the Church in favor of a nicer car, a nicer home, a grander vacation, a
remodeled kitchen, etc. “Lust” causes us to withhold from our spouses and
our children because we prefer something else. “Lust” convinces us that
we can be righteous and selfish at the same time. “Every object of our
lust is the beginning of a lie” (Love-Dare, day 24, pg 117).
What
we desire, what we truly desire, has everything to do with our relationship
with our Lord and His Church (and no, these are not mutually exclusive; one
cannot “love” the Lord and “hate” the Church as the Body of Christ.
“Lust” says otherwise.). If it is our genuine desire to do the will of
God and glorify His Most Holy Name, we will think beyond ourselves and toward
something much greater than even our spouses and our children (“For if you love
only those who love you in return, what good is that?”).
We
must not concern ourselves with any “reward” but should rather be concerned
about and focused on the work at hand. Done in the name of our Holy
Father, the rewards will come soon enough. If we can believe this, then –
and only then – can we say truly trust our Lord.
Blessings,
Michael
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