Thirst for God

Have you ever wonder why people fall into addictive habits?  I came across
this theory from a book called "Inside Out" by Larry Crabb that if our
need for good relationship with God is not satisfied, we can easily become
prey of addictive habits.

Larry mentioned that a young typically good Christian man with no history of 
sexual misbehavior gradually became an addict of pornography:

1.  He visited a friend and stayed overnight.  He turned on the TV and the
    cable channel showed an R-rated mov
    ie.  He was aroused, feeling something deeper than sexual excitement; 
	 he felt alive and vital.
2.  His mind was flooded with images of what he'd seen on TV for hours,
    days, and even weeks.
3.  He lingered by the magazine rack in food store.
4.  He signed up for cable.
5.  Four years later, this young man came to Larry for councelling.

Larry found that though he had a good job and excellent health, and lots of
friends, and was respected as a committed evangelical, his deep thirst for
a good relationship with God was not met.

The principle is: Most habits that we seem powerless to control, e.g. 
overeating, masturbation, uncontrollable temper, crying spells, angry
thoughts, laziness, grow out of our attempts to relieve the unbearable
tension that results from our failure to deal with disappointment of our
deepest longings for relationships.

This young man was hooked on pornography because the thrill of sexual 
pleasure more closely approximated the genuine joys of deep relationship
than any experience he had known.  Living with shallow relationships is
risky.  Unless we are moving toward other folks with the love with which
God moved toward us, the appeal of a broad range of intense pleasures may
become compulsively attractive.

The power of bad habits is not simply in the pleasure they provide.  Sinful
habits become compulsively attractive when the pleasure they give relieves
deep dsiappointment in the soul better than anything else one can imagine.
The good feelings offered by having enjoyable sex, eating delicious food,
or controlling crowds with skilled oratory can numb the ache of unmet 
longings by providing a satisfaction that, for a time, fulfills like nothing
else ever has.  People feel alive in the midst of consuming pleasure.  Thus,
whatever generates the pleasure seems so right.  Pleasures of the body (such
as sex or eating) and of the mind (such as power or applause) can be 
marvelous counterfeits of real life, WHEN GOD HAS NOT BEEN TASTED.  Their
insidious appeal lies in their power to give quick relief from groaning,
a relief that feels more than good - it feels like life.

When pleasures of any kind are used to satisfy our thirst for God, this
thirst becomes a demanding tyrant, driving us toward whatever relief is
available.  Our god becomes our appetite.  Thirst for God meant to create
a panting after God energize our addiction to whatever feels good for a
moment.  How tragic!

Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to 'me' and drink." 
Each of us is thirsty for God, but few understand and deeply experience 
the pain of it.  Those who do, however, are better equipped to recognize 
the deceitful allure of lesser pleasures and to then resist opportunities 
that falsely promise a taste of wholeness.  Those who refuse to honestly 
face their disappointments and hurts (people like the young man addicted to
pornography) are more vulnerable to the devilish power of shallow fun to
masquerade as an angel of life.

Dear friend, have you ever tasted God deeply?  Deep enough to be free of
addictive habits like watching TV, drinking, smoking, taking drugs,
excessive sleeping, excessive eating, excessive working, materialism...  
These shallow fulfillment will only lead you to more thirst and pain,
because, only God can fill your void.