Day 10: What do I Crave?

To crave is to long for, want greatly, desire eagerly, and beg for. God made us to crave so that we would always desire more of Him, but Satan wants to replace our craving for God with something else. 1 John 2:15-16 says, "Do not love this world nor the things it offers 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 from the world."

A craving for physical pleasure is trying to meet our physical needs outside the will of God. A craving for everything we see means being enamored by things of the world. Pride in achievements and possessions means chasing after things that bring feelings of significance. These are three ways Satan tries to lure us away from loving and craving God. He used these tactics when he tempted Eve:

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food (physical craving) and pleasing to the eye (material craving), and also desirable for gaining wisdom (significance craving), she took some and ate it (Genesis 3:6)

Eve gave into temptation because she focused on the object of her desire. She did not walk away or consider her choice or consider the consequences. She focused on her misplaced craving. Satan also used the same tactics when he tempted Jesus in Matthew 4. He appealed to Jesus' need for food Physical craving), he promised Jesus all the kingdoms (material craving), and he enticed Jesus to command angels to save Him to prove His power (significance craving). However, Jesus did not give in to temptation because His focus was on God's truth. Each time Satan tempted Him, He refuted temptation with Scripture. 

Unfortunately, when I face my cravings, I am more like Eve: I become so focused on and consumed by the object of my desire (food). I do not walk away or think about my choice or consider the consequences; I do not turn to God or use His truth to refute my temptation. I want to be more like Christ: I want my focus to be on God, I want to use truth to replace lies, I want to follow the will of God and not my desires. I want to crave God more than I crave food.