We all have cravings. For me, I crave E.L. Fudge cookies and during the fall, candy corn! We love sports, the national peanut festival (it is a big deal here in Dothan, AL), our hobbies, and more.
Cravings are a result of what we fill our minds with consistently. Many times I spend time thinking more about the negative aspects of life than the positive. I guess more of a cup "half empty" type of approach. For others, there is a more positive way to view and think about life. The world offers darkness as if it is light.
"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever" 1 John 2:15-17.
When I think about the world's cravings, it is just like John wrote in verse 16, "physical pleasure, craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions." In 1 John, he is writing specifically to Christians everywhere. The focus of 1 John is that worldly success equals doing whatever makes you feel good (sexual, lust, etc) and focus upon self (achievements and possessions). The kingdom of God is focused upon craving the glory of God!
What about when we have the wrong appetites? How do you respond when you fail? When my attitude, words or actions are not bringing glory to God, I tend to become discouraged. The discouragement is not from God, but from the enemy. You see, Christians aren't perfect. The world wants to point the finger and say, "hypocrite!" Our appetites can quickly crave the immediate cravings of the flesh. But we have been given life through Christ, how can we dive into the old cravings anymore? When we have been given the gift of salvation and restoration, how can we go back to the toilet of the world anymore? The reality is that everyone who is a follower of Christ is a sinner saved by grace. We are made new through Christ but still wrestle with our sinful nature. We should be convicted by the Holy Spirit but that leads to forgiveness and encouragement to run after God. The discouragement you and I feel on a regular basis is not from God, but the enemy. Don't lose heart and don't beat yourself up. Admit the appetite of the world and fill your mind with truth in order to crave the heart of Christ!
The outward, physical world is fading away. Every moment we are one step closer to eternity. Every moment the cars, houses, clothes and our possessions are deteriorating. We are not bodies with souls, but souls with bodies. Our bodies are temporary. Our lives on earth are here and gone the next. Every moment we live on the earth is a gift. Every breathe. Every heartbeat. Every moment. What will spend our life craving?
I am still a work in progress. One thing I do know is that God has given us a new identity as His sons and daughters! We should crave His kingdom and not the kingdom of this earth. What are you craving? Are you hungry for the heart of God or the "stuff" of the world?