COMING OUT OF THE WORLD

Prize Your Time and Choose Well How You SPEND It

As long as we live in our selfish nature, we are unruly and incapable of being ruled, controlled, or led by a Lord or King.
So, if we want Jesus to be our Lord and King, we must first put to death the selfish, sinful nature by repentance to purity.
Jesus leads us out of the world, one step at a time, showing us what to give up, and teaching us how to live.
The end result is purity and then the return of Christ in his glory with his Kingdom of everlasting peace and joy.
Jesus came so he could destroy the devil and his works [sin] in us.
For this purpose the Son of God has been revealed [in us], that he might destroy the works of the devil [in us]. 1 John 3:8

Do not Leave the World to a Cave or Monastery

Many people think that to dedicate their life to God requires them to go into a monastery, a nunnery, a cave, some Bible College, or into seminary training. To the contrary, such actions will defeat your spiritual progress. It has been said, that to remove yourself from the world, removes you from the polishing stones of temptation. To remove yourself from temptation, inhibits your growth. We are counseled by the scriptures as follows:

Let every man remain in the same calling in which he was called. 1 Cor 17:20
As long as we are in an honest occupation, then we are to remain wherever we were awakened by God's call to seek him.

Let the former thief, steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands in an honest occupation so that he may have excess to give to him who lacks necessities. Eph 4:28

And that you aspire to lead a quiet and peaceful life, and to attend to your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. 1 Thes 4:11

So that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and gravity. 1 Tim 2:2

The Bible calls us to stay out of the world. Be in the world, but be not of the world.

And those who use this world, [use it] as though not absorbed by it and with indifference; for the present form of this world passes away. 1 Cor 7:31

I wrote to you in a letter not to keep company with those who are sexually immoral.
But not with the immoral of this world, or with the covetous, or oppressive cheaters, or with idolaters; for then you would have to depart out of the world.
But now I write to you not to keep company with any man who calls himself a Christian and is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an oppressive cheater; do not even eat with such a person.
For while I have no business judging those who are outside the church, are you not supposed to judge those who are within the church? 1 Cor 5:9-12

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into a certain city and remain there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit."
Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. For what is your life? It is just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
Instead you should say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15

I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should protect them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. John 17:15-16

William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania wrote extensively on this subject in his great work, No Cross No Crown:

Nor is the life of a recluse, the boasted righteousness of some, much more commendable, or one shred nearer to the nature of the true cross. For if it is not unlawful as other things are, it is unnatural, which true religion does not teach. The true Christian convent and monastery are within the believer, where the soil is enclosed from sin. The true followers of Christ carry this religious house around with them, who do not exempt themselves from the conversation of the world, though they keep themselves from the evil of the world in their conversation. The monastery or nunnery is a lazy, rusty, unprofitable self-denial, burdensome to others to feel their idleness; religious bedlams, where people are kept for fear they should do mischief abroad; patience by force; self-denial against their will, rather ignorant than virtuous; and out of the way of temptation, than content in it. There is nothing to overcome if never tempted. What the eye never sees, the heart doesn't crave, and doesn't rule.

The Cross of Christ is of another nature; it truly overcomes the world, and leads a life of purity in the face of its allurements; those who bear it are not thus chained up for fear they should bite; nor locked up for fear they should be stolen away. No, they receive power from Christ their Captain, to resist the evil, and do what is good in the sight of God. They are changed to despise the world, and love its reproach above its praise. They are led to be inoffensive to others, but love those that offend them, though not for offending them. What a world we would have if everybody, for fear of transgressing, confined himself within four walls! This is not required because the perfection of the Christian life applies and includes every honest labor or trade found among men. Such severe isolation is not the effect of Christ's free spirit, but a voluntary, fleshly humility; mere restraints of their own making and putting on, without command or reason. In all which it is plain they are their own lawgivers, and set their own rule, deprivation, and ransom, a constrained harshness, incompatible with the rest of the creation. For society has one great benefit of the cross, (and it is not to be destroyed for fear of evil); for sin that spoils society is eliminated, by a steady reproof and a conspicuous example of tried virtue. True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it, and excites their efforts to improve the world; not to hide their candle under a bushel, but to set it upon a table in a candlestick. Besides, isolation is a selfish invention; and man's invention can never be the true cross, which is taken up to bring invention's into subjection. But again, this humor runs away from itself, and leaves the world behind to be lost; Christians should keep to the helm, and guide the vessel to its port; not irresponsibly escape to the stern of the world, and leave those that are in it without a pilot, to be driven by the fury of evil times, upon the rock or sand of ruin. Actually, this monastic isolation of life, if taken up by young people, is commonly used to cover idleness, or to pay off inheritances, to save the lazy from the pains of punishment, or the upper class from the disgrace of poverty. One will not work, and the other scorns it. If aged, a long life of guilt sometimes flees to superstition for a refuge, and, after having had its own will in other things, would finish its life in a wilful religion to make God amends.

But taking up the cross of Jesus is a more interior exercise. It is the circumspection and discipline of the soul in conformity to the divine mind within the believer which is revealed. The body follows the soul, not the soul the body. Don't those who take up the inward cross know that nothing externally applied can stop the soul from lust, or the mind from an infinity of unrighteous imaginations? The thoughts of man's heart are evil, and they continuously occur. Evil comes from within the heart, and not from without. How then can an external application remove an internal cause; or a restraint upon the body, work a confinement of the mind? Confinement of the mind's thoughts is less successful where there is the least action, because there is most time to think; and if those thoughts are not guided by a higher principle, convents are more mischievous to the world than commerce trading houses. And yet periodic retirement is both excellent and needful; crowds and throngs were not much frequented by the ancient holy pilgrims.

Examine yourself, O man. What is your foundation, and who placed you there; for fear that in the end it you will be found to have relied on an external fraud for your own soul. I confess that I wish the salvation of my fellow man, having found mercy with my heavenly Father. I would have none to deceive themselves to perdition especially about religion, where people are most apt to take all for granted, and lose infinitely by their own imagined worthiness and neglect. The inward, steady righteousness of Jesus is more than all the contrived devotion of poor superstitious man; and to stand approved in the sight of God, excels any ritual in religion resulting from the invention of men. And the soul that is awakened and preserved by his holy power and spirit, lives to Him in the way of his own institution, and worships Him in his own Spirit, that is, in the holy sense, life, and leadings of it; which indeed is the evangelical worship. I do not slight a true retirement; for I do not only acknowledge, but admire solitude. Christ himself was an example of it. He loved and chose to frequent mountains, gardens, and seasides. It is requisite to the growth of piety, and I reverence the virtue that seeks and uses it; wishing there were more of it in the world; but then it should be freely entered and exited, not constrained. How can a constrained, punished, retirement benefit the mind, when it should be for a pleasure? No, I have long thought it was an error among all sorts of monastic orders that have no retreats for the afflicted, the tempted, the solitary, and the devout, where they might undisturbed wait upon God, pass through their religious exercises; and, being strengthened by them, may, with more power over their own spirits, enter into the necessary business of the world again. Though the less unnecessary the better, to be sure. For divine pleasures are found in a free solitude.

Of the many thousands of early Quakers who attained Christ resurrected in them, few were called to be traveling evangelists, as was George Fox. Most were shopkeepers, tradesmen, servants, farmers, and even many soldiers; predominately from the middle class and from all professions. However, each person had an office in the Body of Christ, appointed by the Spirit of God, so that everyone served God in their place and position.

Take note of Jesus. When he came to the earth, leaving his glory in heaven, he did not choose a single religious person as his disciple. He chose fishermen, tax collectors - people who had real jobs. Not priests, living off the contributions of some others. After Jesus death, he chose Paul, the tent-maker, to carry the message to the Gentiles, partially because it would take a Jew of high religious status to explain the break away from the Jewish traditions of ceremony, ritual, ordinances, sacrifices, foods, washings, etc. - all necessary to properly address the Gentile nations.

Paul writes about his working:

Neither did we eat any man's bread without paying for it, but labored and toiled night and day, so that we might not be a burden to any of you,
Not because we did not have the right, but to make ourselves an example for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." 2 Thes 3:8-10

Notice! Paul is saying that a preacher without a day-job, should not eat.

Bible Colleges and Seminaries only offer learning from men; and the learning they offer is filled with errors. We all need to be taught by the Holy Spirit, all truth, all things, with the need of no man to teach us:

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is advantageous for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you.
And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong [reprove] of sin, and righteousness, and judgment.
Of sin, because they do not believe in me.
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more.
Of judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned. John 16:7-11

However when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but he shall only speak what he hears; and he will show you things to come.
He shall glorify me; for he shall take from what is mine, and shall show it to you. John 16:13-14

But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit and whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance — whatever I have said to you. John 14:26

You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 1 John 2:20
But the anointing that you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need any man to teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it has taught you, abide in him. 1 John 2:27.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:63

So keep listening for the one Teacher. To sit at Jesus' feet and listen to his word is the one thing needed by any who wish to experience the promises of the Bible:

Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.
Now Martha was distracted with much serving, and came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her that she should help me."
But Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.
There is only one thing needed. Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:38-42.

Jesus was not reading scriptures to Mary, he was speaking to her; we must hear him speak to us too: for the words I speak to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:63. We must go to him. We must wait on him - listen silently, with the humility of a sinner in need of his changing power - grace. We must listen, hear, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21. Daily we must seek, listen, obey..seek, listen, obey.....seek, listen, obey. We must endure to the end, when Christ brings salvation.

To sit quietly, struggling with your mind to listen, is a cross to your will; to obey is a cross to your will — denying your will, and yielding to thy will be done — this is the inward cross of self-denial. Do this, and you are following Jesus.

Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words. Deu 33:3

There are three sources to the power of God being released to change you: 1) the true hope and gospel, 2) the inward cross of self denial, and 3) the power in the name of Jesus. As you sit silently waiting and hoping on the Lord, think on the name of Jesus.

There is no substitute for learning from the Holy Spirit. A college or seminary cannot fulfill that teaching function.

Finally, George Fox has a great letter, addressed to all tradesmen.

In the World, but Standing Apart from the World

The challenge is to not leave the world, but to still be in the world, and yet to stand apart from the world.

We do this by 1) not joining in the evil activities of the world, but 2) while not insisting others do things our way.

We refuse to take part in dishonest actions, cheating others, oppressing others, and criticizing others. We do not return evil for evil.

We do for others what we would have them do for us. This is the golden rule of love, on which all the laws of God are based.

Pleasures (Pass-Times) of the World

You cannot please God trying to live in the flesh. Rom 8:8. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."Isaiah 55:8-9

"Follow peace and holiness with all men, without which no man shall see the Lord" Hebrews 12:14

"For I take no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore turn [from your evil ways] and live!" Ezekiel 18:32

As you begin to deny your former evil activities in the world, the basis of your friendships will diminish. As you deny foul language, revelry, drinking, carousing, etc., your friends will become uncomfortable and begin to attack your commitment to goodness. You will no longer have anything to gain from socializing with them. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? Yes, they think it is strange that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they speak evil of you. Your former social friendships will necessarily disappear, else they will hate you and persecute you; or worse, drag you back into the world as you seek their approval. Are you trying to find favor with men, or of God?

Don't make the mistake of assuming you are supposed to love everyone by socializing with them, thinking that Jesus visited sinners and synagogues, and so should you. You are incapable of showing the love of God to anyone until you have been purified and the love of God has been close to perfected in you. Everything Jesus said and did was exactly as he was ordered to by the Father, and when you are clearly under the control of the Spirit of God's promptings and orders, you too will be sent to worldly people, (including religious worldly people), with clear instructions; but until then, you should withdraw from social contact with the world much as possible. Friendship with the world is enmity with God; be polite, but don't join in conversations and activities of the world. This doesn't mean that you won't be kind and courteous to those of the world with which your occupation brings you into association; just that you will not socialize with them, because it would be painful and harmful to you. Do not be deceived. Evil companions corrupt good manners, morals, and integrity. 1 Cor 15:33.

Jesus said: "And that which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with perseverance. " Luke 8:14-15

Aside from false gospels, universal in Christendom today, the pleasures of this life are the greatest hurdles to be understood and overcome. Most pleasures are not inherently evil; their problem is the time passed in their pursuit. As our society's prosperity has increased, varieties of pleasures have proliferated. Just consider all the different varieties of sports shoes available for purchase today, up to one hundred; fifty years ago there were only four or five. It is very difficult for us, immersed in them since childhood, to understand how the pleasures of the world can be harmful to us. It is difficult to see how our pleasures actually enslave us to them, committing our mind, time, and energy to their pursuit. The pursuit of pleasures is love of the world, which competes with love for God; as such, our pleasures and passions are our false idols. For the love of the world, the things of the world, and the pleasures of the world are enmity with God. As it is written:
Do not love the world or the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

You [spiritual] adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that the fellowship the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God [and has committed adultery with the world]. James 4:4

Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh [the sinful nature] with its passions and desires [lusts and affections]. Gal 5:24

So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him. Rom 8:8

From George Fox's Journal:

"Take heed of pleasures, and prize your time now while you have it; do not spend it in pleasures or earthliness. The time may come that you will say; you had time, when it is past. Therefore look at the love of God now while you have time; for it brings you to loathe all vanities and worldly pleasures. Oh consider, time is precious; fear God and rejoice in him who has made heaven and earth".

THE word of the Lord to all you vain and idle minded people, who are lovers of sports, pleasures, foolish exercises, and recreations, as you call them; consider of your ways, and what it is you are doing. Was this the end of your creation? Did God make all things for you, and you to serve your lusts and pleasures? Did not the Lord make all things for you, and you for himself, to fear and worship him in spirit and in truth, in righteousness and true holiness? But where is your service to God, so long as your hearts run after lusts and pleasures? You cannot serve God and the foolish pleasures of the world, such as bowling, drinking, hunting, hawking, and the like....

"Therefore, now that you have time, prize it; for this is the day of your visitation, and salvation offered to you. Every one of you has a light from Christ; which lets you see you should not lie, nor do wrong to any, nor swear, nor curse, nor take God's name in vain, nor steal. It is the light that shows you these evil deeds: which if you love, and come unto it, and follow it, it will lead you to Christ, who is the way to the Father, from whom it comes; where no unrighteousness enters, nor ungodliness. If you hate this light, it will be your condemnation; but if you love it, and come to it, you will come to Christ; and it will bring you off from all the world's teachers and ways, to learn of Christ, and will preserve you from all the evils of the world, and all the deceivers in it."

I am moved to warn you to take heed of giving way to your own wills. Love the cross; do not satisfy your own minds in the flesh; but prize your time while you have it, and conduct your life in obedience to what you already know, in obedience to God; you will not be condemned for what you don't know, but only condemned for that you know and choose not to obey. Consider before it is too late, evaluate yourselves, see where you are, and whom you serve. For if you blaspheme God, and take his name in vain, if you swear and lie, if you give way to envy, hatred, covetousness, and greediness, pleasures and indulgence, or any other vices, be assured that you serve the devil; but if you fear the Lord and serve him, you will loathe all these things. He who loves God, will not blaspheme his name; but where there is opposing of God, and serving the devil, that profession is sad and miserable. Oh! Prize your time, and do not love that which God forbids; lying, wrath, malice, envy, hatred, greediness, covetousness, oppression, gluttony, drunkenness, whoredom, and all unrighteousness, God forbids. So consider, evil companions corrupts good manners. Be not deceived, God will not be mocked with vain words; the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness. Therefore obey that which convinces you of all evil, and tells you that you should do no evil: it will lead to repentance, and keep you in the fear of the Lord. Oh! Look at the mercies of God, prize them, and do not turn them into unrestrained behaviors. Oh! Eye the Lord and not earthly things!

...grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, who would teach them to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly and godly in this present world. So that every man and woman might know the grace of God, which had appeared to all men; which was saving, and sufficient to bring their salvation. This teacher, the grace of God, would teach them how to live, what to do, and what to deny; it would season their words, and establish their hearts.

George Fox

As an example of this world's pass-time pleasures, consider football. Having been a great fan of football, I am not critical of those whose passion is football. But for a moment, step back and look at the spectacle of 50-100,000 screaming, emotional people watching grown men play a game; and consider the time and effort to get there and return home in addition to the time there; and consider the expense; and consider the passion and adrenalin expended for a game of no consequence other than pride of identification with the winner. When you step back from it, it can be seen as rather frivolous.

From A Guide to True Peace:

The love of liberty is one of the most dangerous passions of the heart. If we follow this propensity, instead of true liberty, it reduces us to slavery. Since our passions are the worst of tyrants, if we obey them partially, we must always be in a perpetual strife and contest within; and if we entirely give ourselves up to them, it is horrid to think to what extremities they will lead; they will torment the heart, and, like a torrent, sweep all before them, and yet never be satisfied. True liberty is to be found only in him, whose truth shall set us free, and who shall make us experience that to serve him is to reign.
When our selfish nature is slain, we will receive the Spirit of Christ, so that we will be obedient in our love for God - and our obedience is by choice, God not having taken away our free will. Love never insists on its own way. But our love for God will make our obedience to his wishes to be the joy of our life.

Compared to seeking God, preparing for your next life after earth that affects you forever, and learning how to conduct yourself in this life with integrity and honor, pursuits of pleasure pale in significance. And yet, that is what seeking God will do for you; he will teach you how to live righteously, soberly, godly in this life as well as prepare you for maximum happiness in the next life that never ends. Choose well how you spend your time, for our time on earth is finite, and our life's sole purpose is to have the opportunity to find God, thereby prepare us for maximum happiness in the next. (And to find God, is to have him control your words and deeds; to make God your ruling King and Lord, whom you serve and obey, instead of serving and obeying your pride, interests, passions, and lusts.)

It is hard for you to believe, but the only reason you are here is to find God by learning the lessons of life: in particular, what is the depths of difference between good vs. evil, sin vs. righteousness, light vs. darkness, turmoil vs. peace, pride vs. humility, and love vs. lust. We must pass from this earth wise, else we must learn the hard way, in the next life. Anything you do, which distracts you from this goal, is to be eternally regretted, (I'm not talking of eternal torture, but of a great regret that you didn't use your time to eternal profit). It is not that all pleasures are evil within themselves, it is the distraction they represent; i.e. any reasonably intelligent person knows playing cards is not inherently evil, but the time spent could be more profitable to us. We somehow escape the certainty of our death to come, and let our time slip through our spread fingers like sand that we have scooped up. We have only so much time to spend; spend it like your most precious possession, wisely for the greatest return possible. Pass-times are the enemy of our souls. We never know when our life here will close, but we know it will close. So as George Fox says: "prize your time and the love of God above all;" sound advice. Seek your creator, seek what he wants of you, seek what he wants you to avoid, seek why he made you, seek to please he who made you, seek his righteousness - it is not easy, but it is everything - there is nothing else - all else is an illusion. Remember, he is not asking you to give up all you pleasures and pursuits; only enough to give him one hour of seeking per day to start - he will then draw you further.

General

LORD, make me to know my end, and the measure of my days, so that I may know how frail I am. Psa 39:4
Depart from evil, and do good; and you will dwell forevermore. Psa 37:27
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Pro 3:7
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged [from the heart], and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. Pro 16:6
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8
So likewise, whosoever does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33

These six things the Lord hates; yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 1 ) A proud look, 2) a lying tongue, 3) hands that shed innocent blood, 4) a heart that imagines immoral plans, 5) feet that are swift to run to evil, 6) a false witness who speaks lies, and 7) he who sows discord among his brothers. Pro 6:16-19

God meets us while we are immersed in sin and says, Peace. He doesn't condemn you. He wants to help you out of your addictions and bondages. He came to help people in sin to get rid of sin. Christ went into a city in Samaria and went to the city well where he picked out a woman, who had been married five times, yet she was living with a man to whom she was not married; this was the first person he selected to carry his message to the rest of the city. He understands that we are living in sin. He doesn't condemn us for that. He calls sinners out of darkness to a sinless state. For the world would have a Christ to excuse continuing to live in their passions and pleasures, but those committed to truth would have a Christ to change them to live pleasing to God, whatever the price.

To become purified and enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must be prepared to give up everything we have. This doesn't mean we become paupers or that we leave our family without support and become a vagabond. A believer that does not care for his family, especially those of his own household, is worse than an infidel that has never heard of God. We have to give from our excess material possessions, (including money), and we have to spiritually commit to him, which insulates us from the world, including family; but we still stay in our honest occupations, care for our families, and fulfil our obligations while seeking. But we must be prepared to give up any of our false idols, (whatever we place equal to or more than our commitment to God), and our habits of the flesh.

The three enemies to God are: lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life. We have to crucify these with the supernatural help of the Light's changing grace. The lust of the flesh includes lust for bodies, food, drink, drugs, money, etc. Lust of the eye is to want to own something because it is beautiful. Pride of life is to be proud of your beauty, strength, intelligence, wealth, possessions, lack of possessions, (you can be prideful for being poor), your social causes served, being a healthy eater, driving a small car or large car, etc; pride roots in lust's accumulations. When we desire anything because of its scarcity, we lust to boost our pride. Lust is love of the world, and the love of the world is enmity with God. Lusts and the sinful nature have to be crucified. Once we have crucified the lusts, we will of course continue to eat, drink, own things, etc; but we will use the things of the world as if we did not possess them, that is, with little interest in them except as a necessity of life, which is then to be lived in everlasting joy to the glory of God with thanksgiving, instead of our selfish interests.

Strip yourselves of your former nature that controlled your conduct, which corrupts itself through lusts and desires that spring from delusion. Eph 4:24. Lust is a delusion, originally fostered by the devil. You lust for something because you think it is good, (like Eve was fooled by the devil that the fruit from the tree of knowledge would make her wise, and was good to the eye), and will make you happy. We are sold by word of mouth and advertising that if we had a new house, a new car, a new dress, a new cell phone, a vacation in Hawaii, a drink, a drug, a body, a special food, a special drink — if only we had this or that we would be happy; but then we get it, and immediately focus our attention on getting something else for satisfaction. The continual barrage of deluding temptations are fostered by the Spirit of Satan; by their lying promise, they create lust for something, which is delusion. There is no satisfaction in this life, until you join with the life of God; he is lasting satisfaction, eternal peace and joy. The joys of the earth are transitory, but the joy in the kingdom is eternal. The pleasures of the earth are not filling, and only create the hunger for more. Some people never stop to realize that however much they get, they are happy to be still looking for something more, expecting the world to provide it; to those the Lord said: woe to you who are full! For you shall hunger. Luke 6:25; if you are content with ever seeking the things and pleasures of the world, you will very discontent in the next life.

Covetousness, which is greed and idolatry or not being satisfied with what you have, is another part of lust. But we have his assurance that if we commit to him, our needs will be provided by Him.

Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, "What are we going to have to eat?"
or, "What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?
For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things,
and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.
But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right),
and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. Matt 6:31-35

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions]
and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have];
for He Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.
Not, not, not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let down (relax My hold on you)! Heb 13:5