Maybe We're Just Hungry

​What in the world would make a fish go after a worm on a hook?  Perhaps it’s because he’s just a total idiot.   Or he’s a disgusting gluttonous pig who can’t control his desires.  Maybe it’s because he’s evil.  Possibly it’s because he’s worthless and doesn’t even deserve to live at all.  No, in reality, the fish goes after the worm on the hook for one reason: he is hungry and doesn’t comprehend that his meal is on a hook that will eventually take his life.

​Why are we bent toward pornography, masturbation, compulsive sexual thoughts, same sex attraction, or a host of other ways that we may act out sexually?  Perhaps it’s because we are just total idiots.  Or we are disgusting perverted pigs who can’t control our desires.  Maybe it’s because we are evil.  Possibly it’s because we’re worthless and don’t even deserve to live at all.  No, in reality, we go after our unhealthy ways of acting out sexually for one reason: we are hungry and we don’t realize that our “food” of choice is on a hook that will eventually cost us our lives.
 
“A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.”                                                                            Proverbs 27:7
 
Hunger is one of the strongest internal forces we face as humans.  We see from the above scripture that when we are hungry even our taste buds work to satisfy our hunger in that they trick us into believing that something horrible is indeed delightful to the taste.  Such is our appetite for sex.  What we don’t realize is that often our appetite for sexual pleasure really has little to do with sex.  It has to do with a hunger for acceptance, to belong, for relationship, and for emotional and physical intimacy.  Anything other than healthy relational intimacy with ourselves, other people, and our Maker will not truly satisfy our hunger.  Meeting our sexual and relational desires in a way that God never intended will have the same result as the fish biting into the hook.  Only Jesus offers bread and drink that truly satisfy.     

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