Son, You Have To Regulate Those Desires

ENGLISH

My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. — Proverbs 5:1-4

This is not an attempt by Solomon to demonize all women. It's one father warning his son of the dangers of two sinful people. He wants his son to know that both men and women have desires. Desires that are sometimes extremely strong. So much so that when a man stops regulating his desires, they will act in a way they shouldn't. And while God gave men and women these desires, he wants them to be satisfied the right way — the best way. Not by something or someone who is forbidden.

Thus a man can't let his desires run wild. He has to give discretion to every sweet and savory presentation. Not just the allure of the person presenting it, but the lure of the desires within himself. Because if a man cannot regulate his desires, two things happen. First, he will discover the bitter, sharp, and deadly end of these desires. And second, he will miss out on the best satisfaction for his desires because he chose the unsavory ones.

So father's, I know some of you out there get all worked up about having the "talk" with your kids. But the talk that Solomon has here is far more strategic. It's a talk about the desires within a man and a woman. I believe this is a far more important topic because wrong actions result from unregulated desires. Desires which have run wild. To prove this point, recall one of the most significant challenges that Jesus presented to men. It wasn't exclusively focused on action but the desires that led to the action. Here is what Jesus said:

You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery." But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. — Matthew 5:27-28.

ASK THIS: What desires do you need to regulate?

DO THIS: Take action to regulate them before they become an issue!

PRAY THIS: God, show me the desires I need to regulate. And my your Spirit give me the power to regulate them when they need direction the most.

PLAY THIS: You Are My Desire — Josh Baldwin.

SPANISH

Hijo mío, sé atento a mi sabiduría; inclina tu oído a mi entendimiento, para que guardes la discreción, y tus labios guarden el conocimiento. Porque los labios de la mujer prohibida destilan miel, y su habla es más suave que el aceite, pero al final es amarga como el ajenjo, aguda como una espada de dos filos. — Proverbios 5:1-4

Este no es un intento de Salomón de demonizar a todas las mujeres. Es un padre advirtiendo a su hijo de los peligros de dos personas pecadoras. Quiere que su hijo sepa que tanto los hombres como las mujeres tienen deseos. Deseos que a veces son extremadamente fuertes. Tanto es así que cuando un hombre deja de regular sus deseos, éstos actuarán de una forma que no debe. Y aunque Dios le dio a los hombres y mujeres estos deseos, quiere que se satisfagan de la manera correcta, de la mejor manera. No por algo o alguien que está prohibido.

Por lo tanto, un hombre no puede dejar que sus deseos se vuelvan salvajes. Tiene que dar discreción a cada presentación dulce y salada. No solo el atractivo de la persona que lo presenta, sino el atractivo de los deseos dentro de sí mismo. Porque si un hombre no puede regular sus deseos, suceden dos cosas. Primero, descubrirá el final amargo, agudo y mortal de estos deseos. Y segundo, se perderá la mejor satisfacción de sus deseos porque eligió los desagradables.

Entonces, padre, sé que algunos de ustedes se preocupan por tener la "charla" con sus hijos. Pero la charla que Salomón tiene aquí es mucho más estratégica. Es una charla sobre los deseos dentro de un hombre y una mujer. Creo que este es un tema mucho más importante porque las acciones incorrectas son el resultado de deseos no regulados. Deseos que se han vuelto salvajes. Para probar este punto, recordemos uno de los desafíos más significativos que Jesús presentó a los hombres. No se centró exclusivamente en la acción, sino en los deseos que llevaron a la acción. Esto es lo que dijo Jesús:

Habéis oído que se dijo: "No cometerás adulterio". Pero yo os digo que todo el que mira a una mujer con intención lujuriosa, ya adulteró con ella en su corazón. — Mateo 5:27-28.

PREGUNTA ESTO: ¿Qué deseos necesitas regular?

HAGA ESTO: ¡Tome medidas para regularlos antes de que se conviertan en un problema!

ORA ESTO: Dios, muéstrame los deseos que necesito regular. Y mi tu Espíritu dame el poder para regularlos cuando más necesitan dirección.

JUEGA ESTO: Eres mi deseo — Josh Baldwin.

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11 thoughts on “Son, You Have To Regulate Those Desires”

Gary says:
Excellent word Vince. It reminds me of Paul’s talk with the Ephesians in Chapter 2 where he says this:
Ephesians 2
King James Version

2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

01/13/2022 at 3:09 PM
Dale says:
Ps 37:4 – “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Not that God gives us what we desire, but the He places His desire in our heart. The problem is in the heart. Spend time ‘delighting’ in the Lord. Surrender your will and your desires to him. Then ask God to replace the desires in your heart with His desires – one’s that align with His will.

Good message/devo today!

01/13/2022 at 2:31 PM
David J says:
To lash out when I feel I am wronged

01/13/2022 at 12:13 PM
BT says:
I was literally in prayer and prostrate before the Lord, not even 5 minutes before reading and listening to today’s devotional. I know and accept that I’ve been designed to do great things for the kingdom. But this battle is a significant hinderance in my ministry and calling; it’s very much a battle in my mind and it’s paralyzing to my spirit and keeps me from walking in my calling. I’m SO tired ! Please keep me in prayer

01/13/2022 at 9:02 AM
Scott Finnell says:
Such wisdom here in the bible. This is not the talk I had with my children. I need to revisit this conversation.

01/13/2022 at 8:26 AM
timothy.sorensen says:
Thank you so much for this devotional today. It really hit home with me as my desires got the best of me two years ago and now I am having to deal with the aftermath of my destructive Behavior. I wish I had a Godly Mentor with me over these years. Now that I found the Lord, my life inside me is so different but I’m still dealing with my past actions. May God help me through this terrible times

01/13/2022 at 7:55 AM
timothy.sorensen says:
Thank you so much for this devotional today. It really hit home with me as my desires got the best of me two years ago and now I am having to deal with the aftermath of my destructive Behavior. I wish I had a Godly Mentor with me over these years. Now that I found the Lord himself my life inside me is different but I’m still dealing with my past actions. May God help me through this terrible times

01/13/2022 at 7:53 AM
- Greg says:
  I think of Is 26:20…” shut yourself away until the fury has past, wait on the Lord…”
  To use a metaphor from real life, and John Piper, ” don’t waste your cancer”… meaning, let God fully restore you, and He Will if you wait on Him and don’t push, and use your “new” wisdom to encourage others in True Godly wisdom
  
  01/15/2022 at 8:32 AM
Rich Thomas says:
I heard a youth Pastor talk about this and how the young brain is not fully developed to control these desires. He said it’s like having a Ferrari with bicycle brakes.

01/13/2022 at 6:13 AM
Mark says:
Thanks Vince for this reminder about regulating desires. For a number of years I was selfish, I didn’t regulate those desires of the flesh. God has done a mighty work in my life within the past few months but everyday I am reminded that I must continually be mindful of those desires and commit them to God because it would be so easy for me to fall into that trap again.

01/13/2022 at 5:18 AM
Carl Snider says:
The desire to not retaliate when I am physically and emotional abused by someone I love. To walk away and pray that God will help this person with the past childhood trauma demons they are not battling against to over come but chooses to take it out on me.

01/13/2022 at 5:13 AM

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Devo, Proverbs

Son, You Have To Regulate Those Desires

Son, You Have To Regulate Those Desires

11 thoughts on “Son, You Have To Regulate Those Desires”

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