Taste and See
Desire Happens
There are times in the lives of most Christians when a vital force inserts itself into our consciousness and demands to take over. We see someone, and we crave.
Sometimes we want and can have—with God's and everyone's blessing. Desire does take place between husbands and wives, sweetly, as in the wistful songs by the husband-and-wife duo Over the Rhine. After recovering from a near-divorce, Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler put to music this aching confession: "You're my water / You're my wine / You're my whisky / From time to time. / You're the hunger / On my bones / All the nights / I sleep alone."
But even married people who feel this marvelous hunger in their bones are occasionally broadsided by unwieldy yearning. Misguided cravings do not discriminate between the single and the married, the celibate and the promiscuous. They plop onto your lap unannounced. You see someone, and suddenly you want to do something—often, something that is not yours to do. Like it or not, think healthily about it or not, pray against it or not—desire happens.
What do you do when it pays its impromptu visits? Indulge in thought only? Deny it's there? Seek an exorcism? Curse yourself? Eat chocolate?
Nancy Trejos wrote in The Washington Post about another unreliable solution. She described how some Shiites, the majority who have regained power in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, have resurrected an odd custom from before Saddam. Mutaa, or "enjoyment marriage," is a contract that provides already married men with a religiously sanctioned opportunity to have sex with someone other than their wives. All a guy has to do is support the willing woman financially. The mutaa can last a few minutes or several years. If it sounds like ...
This article is currently available to CT subscribers only.
To continue reading:
or
Taste and See
Agnieszka Tennant
Agnieszka Tennant is a former associate editor and editor at large for Christianity Today. She earned her master's degree in international relations at the University of Chicago, where she focused on how religiously-rooted norms influence world politics. Her "Taste and See" column ran from 2006 to 2007.
Grieving with the Good Friday God
La complejidad hispana: Todo cambió en el 2012
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Google
Comments
Displaying 1–3 of 53 comments
See all comments
joy
Jose asked, "what do you do if you are not strong enough to laugh off desire and move on?". Jose, the situation that you are in is extremely serious and your prayers need to reflect that reality. At the moment you feel sinful desire well up inside you, you need to call God for help. God is right there with you in the battle. Draw on HIS strength - its amazing! If the desire returns 5 minutes later, 77 times a day, keep asking God for help. You will probably have to tell your co-worker friend to cool it, if he is flirting with you. You may confess to him that your behavior toward him has not been honoring towards your husband and you feel really bad about it and you are sorry if you mislead your friend. If the desire does not subside, you may need to seriously consider looking for another job, in order to save your marriage. Read the Bible daily for strength; God's word is like food for your soul. Learn God's view of how important the sactity of marriage is. Get help at www.fltoday.com
Sue
I enjoyed this article. This article came home to me. Ten years ago my husband started an emotional affair with an old friend, which ended into a divorce for me and remarriage for him after living with her for five years. At the time he was professing to be a Christian but his desires overtook him. I loved my husband and still do . I have not dated or had any desire for another man, but maybe someday that desire will return and I will once again hunger in my bones for the man that loves me.God has made me stronger through the trials but sometimes desires can take over if you are not strong in your faith.If you get in such a situation flee and pray for Gods strength.
C. Rodgers
Thank you so much for this article. As a homemaker I can relate more than I realized. This has helped me more than you know. God Bless you.