These next few verses from 1 John 2:15-17 seem to shed some light on the origin of the temptations we face on a daily basis,  – 

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. 

A craving is defined as a powerful desire for something.  A longing, a yearning, a want, a desire, a hunger for, a thirst for…   A craving is an all-encompassing feeling that pulls at you.  So much so, that we tend to focus all our energy and attention on fulfilling the craving. Unfortunately, if we succeed, we never feel fulfilled.  It like being on a perpetual merry-go-round or treadmill.  Moving, but going no where, like a greyhound chasing the elusive rabbit around the racetrack.

                       

John points out that cravings are the only thing the world has to offer people. He also points out that cravings are not from God.

WHAT THEN DOES GOD OFFER PEOPLE?

• Eternal life through Jesus – For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
  
• Holy Spirit – But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name (Jesus’ name), He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. –
  John 14:16
• That He will meet ALL our needs – God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19
•  A rich and satisfying life – John 10:10         
• His Peace – You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
• Contentment  – Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? – Matthew 6:25-26
  

Understand that there is a significant difference between what the world offers people and what God offers people.  Fulfillment of cravings are only temporarily satisfying. And when those no longer meet our desires we chase after the next “new” craving that bubbles up from inside of us.

 

KING SOLOMON…

who lived much of his life apart from God as the richest, wisest, most powerful person in the 10th century, describes the world like this,  “I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless–like chasing the wind.” –  Ecclesiastes 1:14

                        

God, on the other hand, desires is to fulfill our deepest longings.  Those longings we may or may not even realize we have.  Not temporarily, but permanently and fully.

WHY DOES GOD CARE ABOUT PEOPLE SO MUCH?

God created human beings in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. – Genesis 1:27 

You (God) made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. – Psalm 139:13

The very hairs of your head are all numbered. – Matthew 10:30

And God knows the plans He has for you, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  – Jeremiah 29:11

WHY TO WE CONTINUALLY CRAVE?

People have an innate desire for God whether they realize it or not.  This can be described as a “God-shaped hole”.  ALL people have this “God-shaped hole” within them which can only be filled by God. The “God-shaped hole” is a craving of sorts.  A craving of the human heart for something outside itself.  And although people don’t realize it, it was actually God who placed this craving in people’s hearts, He, God, has planted eternity in the human heart – Ecclesiastes 3:11

                                   

SO WHAT’S THE SOLUTION THEN?

More often than not, people seek to fulfill their cravings with everything, and anything, other than God.  Whether people attempt to fulfill their longings with work, relationships, money, family, etc. these will always come up short because fulfillment of these longings are only temporary and incomplete.

MAKE A CHOICE, MAKE A CHANGE …

Instead of chasing after the cravings of the world…

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. – Matthew 6:32

SEEK first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

 

 

** FOR MORE ON TEMPTATION SEE MY OTHER POSTS BELOW **

Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong??  –  TEMPTATION [5],  http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xt

RESPONSE TO READER’S COMMENT – Are ALL People Tempted to “Do” Wrong??  –  TEMPTATION [5] –  [6]  –  http://wp.me/p5nZpi-xZ