Page 53 - Overcoming Addiction

they are someone who can help him to achieve his desires of financial wealth. If
they are not, he may avoid them. If they are deemed valuable to his goals, he may
seek them out, often without even recognizing that his motive is selfish. When
faced with a business decision, his actions will be dictated by his desire for profit.
He will do whatever helps him to achieve the desire of his soul.
We could use many different examples. We could speak about men who are
consumed with thoughts of sexual desire. What they look at, what they read, who
they associate with, the tenor of their conversations, are all influenced by that
which is driving them. They will feed their soul what it wants, and consequently
their soul will be shaped by what it feeds upon. It is very difficult for a Christian
man who feeds upon such food to view an attractive woman in an unselfish
manner. He will not look at an attractive Christian woman as a sister in Christ who
is to be protected and supported, but as an object of sexual desire. The same thing
occurs when he sees an attractive non-Christian woman. Rather than having an
evangelistic mindset that seeks her eternal welfare, he will see her through the
carnal desires of his soul.
We see then that we are shaped by what we choose to feed upon. As this is
true concerning man’s body and soul, it is also true regarding the spirit of a man
or woman. We can learn much about the food that nourishes and strengthens the
spirit of a man by looking once more at the parable of the Israelites in the
wilderness.
While the Israelites were in Egypt they ate what the Egyptians ate. I will
mention once again that Egypt stands as a symbol of the world. While they were
enslaved to Egypt, the Israelites ate a worldly diet. Their only source of food was
Egypt, and because they were slaves, the diet of Egypt was just fine with them.
I trust you can see the Scriptural parallels in this. While we were slaves to sin
in the world, we fed upon a diet that was worldly. Because those in the world are
enslaved to lusts of all types, their diet is that which satisfies their lusts. That
which is broadcast on television, at the movies, and provided through magazines,
radio and the Internet is what satisfies the soul of sinful men and women. The
more they feed upon this food, the more they are shaped by it, and their desires
grow even greater.
A thing observed about our appetites, both physical and soulish, is that they
are not satisfied long with the same food. They want something more sensual, and
more stimulating.
When I was a child growing up we did not eat very spicy food. When I was
twenty I moved across country and lived with an aunt and uncle for a period of
time. One of their favorite meals was tacos, and they had them regularly. The first
time I ate tacos with them I was urged to try some hot sauce on my taco. I put one
or two drops of Tabasco Sauce on my taco and my mouth felt like it was on fire. I
liked the taste and sensation, however, and I kept putting Tabasco Sauce on my
tacos. I found that very quickly my body adjusted to this and soon I was splashing
lots of hot sauce on my tacos.
This same phenomena is seen in many types of food, and it is true regarding
that which we feed our soul as well. Most men who start out being enticed by an
appetite for sexual stimulation are at first satisfied to look at pictures of women
wearing sensual clothing. As time goes by they want to see more skin and begin to