Driven On By Lust

And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. Numbers 22:34‭-‬35 KJV

Lust is an uncontrolled intense desire or appetite usually associated with illicit sex or drive to do evil. A greedy person may lust for money and a gluttonous person may lust for food, and a mass killer may lust for blood. Wikipedia differentiates between lust and passion, ” It is similar to but distinguished from passion, in that passion propels individuals to achieve benevolent goals whilst lust does not.” 1John2:15-16 is the New Testament recommendations for christian living. It separates the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. A Christian scholar differentiates them this way: ” The lust of the eyes occurs when we see something visually that incites covetousness, jealousy, or sexual lust. The pride of life is the desire in every human being to be his or her own god. Arrogance, self-promotion, and greed all stem from the pride of life. The lust of the flesh is also one of the foes we fight”. These are the things associated with Balaam which make us believe he was not Gods prophet. It had to take this special encounter for this man to know God’s mind. Even at that, he still went for the same of the profits. What’s our motivation for public service or even ministry? That’s what differentiates which spirit controls our life. Is it the Holy Spirit or Balaam’s Spirit? You decide.