Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

In the King James Version of the Bible the words “inordinate affection” appear in the above verse. Here in the NIV translation the word “lust” has been used instead. That is a more familiar term and without reaching for the dictionary you know exactly what it means. In common parlance lust means ‘wanting something or someone that you have no right to want’. In other words that thing is currently out of your reach either because you cannot afford it or it already belongs to someone else. Despite that reality you have convinced yourself that “it” would bring you a thrill or make life so much better and therefore you will go to any extreme to obtain it. When the object of your “lust” is someone the danger is even greater, usually because there are other lives that will be impacted by your actions.

So what to do about this “lust” that is haunting you? Do what Paul told the Corinthian believers to do – “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Recognize the danger you are in and open up your thought life to the searchlight of Christ. Is this what he wants for you at this stage of your life? Count the cost. Pray to God in complete honesty, call it by name, and ask his help to slay this dragon. And by all means be proactive by putting distance between yourself and the object of your lust. May God strengthen you and bring deliverance.