Session 16

What are you craving?

From Colossians: A 28-Day Devotional

Have you ever gotten a food craving so bad your mouth started watering just thinking about it? Why do you think your body craves that certain food? When you dwell on a thought, you begin to give life to it. Eventually, those thoughts turn into actions.

These cravings we have don’t just pertain to food. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:5-6 to put to death the cravings of our earthly nature, which he lists as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed.

Paul is reminding us to not give life to sinful thoughts. Whatever we focus on we give life to, but whatever we ignore we kill. The desires we feed continue to grow, but whatever we starve dies.

Paul’s language is harsh but necessary. We need to put our sinful cravings to death, or God will. Once we know Him, we can’t continue living like we don’t. He’s not going to be mocked, and He loves us too much to let us continue in our sin.

Putting sin to death starts with self-examination. Ask the Holy Spirit what you’re feeding and what you need to be starving.  Is what you’re watching on the computer or TV tempting you to sin? Are the things you’re hearing — from music to talk radio to office gossip — filling you with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, or self-control? Do the people you spend the most time with help you become more like God?

It’s never fun to take a hard look at our own lives. But when we identify what we’re taking in, we can start putting to death the things that lead us to sin.   

Reflect:

• Where are you feeding your earthly nature? 
  
• What is one craving you need to starve? How can you begin to do that today?