the encounter

we are all motivated by appetite.  seeing a burger & fries ignites in me a desire to want to taste and eat it!  the question is, “am i driven by my appetites?”

there are some appetites that are natural to the physical body.  they are basic to who we are as humanity.  (food, sleep, sex, comfort)  we do our best as human being to enjoy as much of these as we can. 

to the degree that i give in to these appetites determines a conditioning or pattern of how i respond to other appetites i face.  

there are appetites that are basic to my nature as human.  they are self-protecting and self-loving.  if given into, they are also destructive to ourselves and to our relationships.  some of these damaging appetites are:

• greed
• lust
• revenge
• stubbornness
• laziness
• instant gratification
• anger
• envy

in a strange twist, my ability to deny the appetite for these will be based on my ability to sometimes deny the most basic appetites of my body.   if i never deny myself the appetites of my body, i will have a very difficult time denying myself the appetites that destroy me and my relationships.

the power of fasting, prayer, meditation, serving, and giving is that they create soul habits.  they  condition us to have control over physical appetites.  that control then leads  to greater control over destructive appetites. 

how often do you deny yourself the most basic physical appetites?

what if power over things that destroy you is found in denial of the most basic of appetites?

where would you begin to deny yourself today?

 

Tags: appetites