Remove your lusts to get your real desires
In the book ‘The Great Divorce’ by C. S. Lewis, a scene is described in which a ghostly person (who is an unbeliever) has a red lizard siting on his shoulder. This red lizard appears to negatively influence all his decisions and actions. Finally, the man cries out, ‘God help me’. Instantaneously, a bright angel rips the lizard off the ghostly man’s shoulder, and he screams with pain. The angel then strangles the lizard and throws it to the ground. The man begins to become a believer in God and progressively becomes more solid and real and less ghost-like.
However, a further strange thing begins to happen, the red lizard whom we thought to be dead begins to change shape and colour and becomes a beautiful and powerful stallion. The man then jumps onto the stallion’s back and taking full control of the reins, gallops off into the everlasting hills of heaven.
As I was reading this story, the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘Give up your petty desires and I will give you something much, much better’.
Something changed within me, and I was able to see my petty temporal desires and ambitions for what they really were. I knew instinctively that if I said ‘God help me’ like the man in the story, that he would not only remove these red lizards from me but also turn them into something much, much better.
God is no respecter of persons, and earnestly desires that each one of his children be set free from the red lizards (lusts) in our lives.
I believe that the Lord is speaking to us today, saying, ‘Give up your old ways, your small dreams, ambitions and attitudes and I will give you something far, far better’.
The very thing that holds you back (the red lizard) is what God wants us to hand over, so that he can kill it and then resurrect it into the wonderful real thing (the beautiful stallion) that will serve you instead of being your master and will cause you to gallop into heavenly places (achieve the things that God wants you to achieve).
This is an interesting proposition, but does it line up with the teaching of the Bible? Does God desire to change the existing things in our lives into something far, far better?
In fact, there are numerous examples in the bible where God desired to change new and better things for old.
e.g. A new covenant for an old covenant.
Hebrews 8:6-10
All their comparisons favour the new covenant. One of the best blessings of the new covenant is that the Holy Spirit comes and indwells the believer whereas in the old, he merely came upon people for times and seasons.
Even when God asks you to give up something good, it is the same, he can give you something much, much better! When Jesus saw the widow giving her last two mites, it would not surprise me if he sent someone out after her to bless her financially (her needs would be met one way or another by God!).
Each one of us can testify that on the day we were born again our old lives were exchanged for far better lives in every way! We were spiritually dead in our sins and trespasses, blind and lost, without hope. But now we are spiritually alive to God, wonderfully cleansed and forgiven, children of the living God.
In Luke 5:37-38, we find that God cannot pour the new wine of His Spirit into the old wineskin (unbelieving heart) but rubs in the oil of the Holy Spirit into our new hearts at the new birth. Then we can hold the new wine and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.
The world, the flesh and the devil cry out in unison ‘cling to your old life, the old familiar ways, better the devil you know …’ But the Lord says to us today that we should cry out ‘God help me’ that he might remove and transform our red lizards.
Can you trust Him?
Here are some examples of red lizards and the beautiful stallions that can be transformed if we will face the pain of having them removed.
Lusts Godly desires
Worldly ambitions Heavenly ambitions
Materialism Spirituality
Desire for recognition of man Desire for recognition of God
Wrong relationships Blessed relationships
Unforgiveness Forgiveness
Jealousy and envy Admiration and appreciation
Addictions Freedom and liberty
Bad memories wonderful future
God help me with this ………. God release me into ………
May he grant your heart cry and fill you with a deeper sense of his love. How much more will he give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him…
Amen
Personal Prayer