Life is like a house in outer space. When we “fully” repent, our house is sealed and our joy begins to grow. But when satan tempts us with sin and we open the door to it, all of the air and joy is sucked completely out of the house. Lust people go around always looking for that special-looking person to lust after. Instead, we need to break that habit and start a new habit of always going around looking for joy. The Bible says that “In God’s presence is fullness of joy.” We praise God often to enter His presence. We spend a block of time in prayer and in Bible study. But the real key to finding joy is to always go around trying to be in God’s will. Consider praying: “Father, take away this spirit of lust and fill me with Your joy.” The challenge with finding God’s will and with finding joy is that… God desires us to do certain things, and we just don’t think those things will be that fun. That is why I often write about Paul. 99% of the time he did what God told him to do. 99% of the time he had that great joy. To try to copy Paul consider praying: “Father, show me Your will, and fill me with Your joy.” When we trust that God’s way is best we are willing to do some small thing that He wants us to do today and this week. We are willing to do some great thing that He wants us to do someday. We are willing to pray and prepare to do something for God. There is a hymn: “There is joy unthinkable and full of Glory.” When I was a kid I thought, “What in the world are they talking about.” But then one day I finally started being willing to do more as a Christian. On that day I started experiencing joy. It was a good day. Finally, decide how much joy you want. Then write down your plan for how you will get it.
We love Joseph because he was our great example of running from lust. But often we forget to ask “why” he did that. When we look at Joseph and start at the beginning, we see that he was a great dreamer. He wanted to do great things, and he wanted to do great things for God. In every situation, Joseph knew that God had a plan for his life, just like he has a plan for our lives. When Joseph was thrown into a pit, he still believed that God had a plan for him. When we get wrecked in life, we need to gain the habit of turning from lust and continuing to believe that God has a plan for our lives. When Joseph was thrown into prison he still believed that God had a plan, and he still continued in constant prayer so that he could fulfill that plan. At every bad turn in life, Joseph believed that God's way was best and that God had something for him to do. When Joseph's great temptation came, he ran from it. He was able to run from it because before the temptation happened, he had practiced turning from lust and sin because he knew they would interfere with his purpose. He believed that God had something for him to do despite every signal around him flashing, no, stop, it's too hard. In the pit, he believed, when sold into slavery, when in prison, when in a hostile foreign country, in every impossible situation, he believed that God had something for him to do. He was right, God had something for him to do. If we also believe that with all our heart, and if we prepare to turn from sin, we will be able to run from lust, just like Joseph did.
God insists we turn from sinful lust. He is “Very” firm. Why? Because it is either His way or trouble. No middle ground. 1 Corinthians 6:13 ESV “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” We are created “For the Lord.” Our thoughts are “For the Lord.” Our actions are “For the Lord.” Our purpose is “For the Lord.” I have been hearing about a book called Atomic Habits. I plan to read it. A great use of this books great tools would be to use his great advice in conjunction with doing what you learn here. Learning how to squeeze out bad habits and start new good habits. God is very firm. I bet the advice in this book will push relentlessly for change. My Google search indicated that it would. Second, I believe that God's very firm way is the best way. I study His Word so that I learn exactly what He wants me to do. Third, once I start doing things His way, I start to fully understand that His way is the best way. Then good things start to happen.
