Being clear on ones words and concepts is important when trying to communicate, and nowhere is such clarity more vital than when it pertains to scripture. There are a few words I see used commonly among Christians in ways that don't properly reflect their scriptural meaning. One of the biggest offenders for this is lust.
The majority of the time this word is used it is used as if it meant something along the lines of 'sexual desire'. Of course the word lust does include that, and the modern word 'lust' pretty much means only that, but when the word crops up in scripture it generally doesn't just mean that, or mean that at all.
Lust is inordinate desire for anything, not specifically sex. It's important not to lose sight of that in that I find covetous (the same thing as lust, or near enough that it makes no difference) is not often enough addressed and dealt with among Christians. It's all linked in Romans 7:7 and it all comes back to Exo 20:17 This is important because reducing lust to sexual desire makes one miss the point of why lust is such a sin, it's not just another name for fornication, its another problem entirely and needs to be addressed differently. You can lust after your neighbours wife by seeing how good a cook she is and wishing she could cook for you every day like she does for him and being envious of him for having her good cooking. Even lusting after someones wife doesn't have to have anything to do with sex.
Being jealous and desperately wanting his car, title, job, house, or any other stuff is just as bad as desperately wanting his wife, its all the same sin, and it all breaks the same commandment. This is why it's important not to just think of lust as 'sexual desire', you'll miss the bigger picture. And that is a picture of a call too contentment. Certainly we may strive for better things, but contentment is vital even with aspirations.
The majority of the time this word is used it is used as if it meant something along the lines of 'sexual desire'. Of course the word lust does include that, and the modern word 'lust' pretty much means only that, but when the word crops up in scripture it generally doesn't just mean that, or mean that at all.
Lust is inordinate desire for anything, not specifically sex. It's important not to lose sight of that in that I find covetous (the same thing as lust, or near enough that it makes no difference) is not often enough addressed and dealt with among Christians. It's all linked in Romans 7:7 and it all comes back to Exo 20:17 This is important because reducing lust to sexual desire makes one miss the point of why lust is such a sin, it's not just another name for fornication, its another problem entirely and needs to be addressed differently. You can lust after your neighbours wife by seeing how good a cook she is and wishing she could cook for you every day like she does for him and being envious of him for having her good cooking. Even lusting after someones wife doesn't have to have anything to do with sex.
Being jealous and desperately wanting his car, title, job, house, or any other stuff is just as bad as desperately wanting his wife, its all the same sin, and it all breaks the same commandment. This is why it's important not to just think of lust as 'sexual desire', you'll miss the bigger picture. And that is a picture of a call too contentment. Certainly we may strive for better things, but contentment is vital even with aspirations.