When a person desires a thing too much, they quickly become uncomfortable and ill-focussed. Such a selfish and covetous person doesn’t sleep well at night. But someone who is poor, grateful, and humbly content within their own heart lives in a world of peace (Isaiah 26:3).
When a person has not learned the life lessons that come from being subdued by shame, self-denial, or sorrow for one’s actions, they are quickly tempted and even overcome by small, trifling evils. Their spirit is weak, their priority becomes bodily pleasure, and so they are inclined to sensual things like pornography. They can hardly abstain from these earthly desires.
Consequently, in some way it tortures such a person to do without the thing they desperately long for. They are quick to anger if even a friend dares try to course-correct them. But even if they are able to satisfy their desires, happiness eludes them. You see, remorse of their conscience can overwhelm them because it took such an unconscionable effort of passion to gain it – only to discover the ‘pleasure’ they gained doesn’t necessarily lead to the contentment they sought.
As wise people come to discover, true heart-filling peace and contenment is found in resisting passions, not in satisfying them. There is no real sense of shalom in the person given to vain attractions. But there is shalom within the sincere and spiritual person.
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Illustrative Story: Published in 1609, "Sonnet 129" is part of a sequence of Shakespearean sonnets addressed to someone known as the "Dark Lady." The poem is about the frustrating, torturous side of sex and desire. It presents lust as a "savage," all-consuming force that drives people "mad," pushing them to seek out physical satisfaction at all costs. But when the act of sex is over, people often feel ashamed for agonizing so intensely over a pleasure as fleeting (and, to the speaker, emotionally depleting) sex. Everyone knows lust leads to self-loathing, the speaker says, yet simply can't help themselves from indulging; passion is too powerful to resist.
“Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action, lust
Is perjured, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,
Enjoyed no sooner but despisèd straight,
Past reason hunted; and, no sooner had
Past reason hated as a swallowed bait
On purpose laid to make the taker mad;
Mad in pursuit and in possession so,
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;
A bliss in proof and proved, a very woe;
Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.”
Lead Well! Lead from contentment.
Rev Dr Darren Roorda
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Texts: Isaiah 26:3 People with their minds set on you [God], you keep completely whole.
