Ruling Our Affections and Appetites
God created us with three very important faculties capable of properly ruling our lives.
“Someone who is an addict - someone who is a slave to their appetites has a mind that has become the servant of their appetites.”
- C.R. Wiley
God created us with three very important faculties capable of properly ruling our lives.
1. Mind (Reason / Intellect)
2. Affections (Heart / Desires)
3. Appetites (Emotions)
The problem arises when we attempt to form reality around our desires (affections) and emotions (appetites). When we misuse our intellectual power to feed our appetites and affections, we lose our moral reasoning capabilities. The result is licentiousness (immorality), destruction, and disorder that cause harm. A better way is to employ our mind to reign-in our affections and appetites… After all, self-control is a fruit of the the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23)
For the Christian, our minds (reason / intellect) should regulate our affections (heart / desires) and our appetites (emotions).
"No emotion is, in itself, a judgement; in that sense all emotions and sentiments are alogical. But they can be reasonable or unreasonable as they conform to Reason or fail to conform. The heart never takes the place of the head; but it can, and should, obey it."
C.S. Lewis (The Abolition of Man)
In other words, our affections and appetites should obey our minds. But, how?
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2
J.B. Phillips paraphrases Romans 12:2 as follows, "Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity."
Life becomes disordered and disjointed when we fail to teach Romans 12:2 or we misapply it as part of our daily sanctification.
When we allow our affections to rule over our minds, our appetites will lead us into some very dark places of bondage.
Our natural fleshly desires, affections, and appetites automatically conform to the patterns of the world. Romans 12:2 clearly states, “be transformed by the renewing of your MIND." It does NOT say, "be transformed by the renewing of your emotions, affections, or appetites."
The truth of Gods word, illuminated by the Holy Spirit grants sound judgement to the mind. The mind, in turn regulates and properly orders our affections and appetites. It bridles our emotions by grounding them in truth. (Result) “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” "So that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good." (J.B. Phillips)
Every battle is first fought in the mind.
That’s why we take every thought captive, tear down strongholds, and exercise thinking on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8)
As Christians, we must use our redeemed and renewed minds (reason / intellect) to judge, order, and regulate our affections (heart / desires) and appetites (emotions).
Prayer:
Father, I confess I allow my mind, affections, and appetites to be conformed to the world. I am truly sorry. Guide me into all truth as I renew my mind daily in your Word. By the power of the Holy Spirit, conform me to the image of Christ. As your Word conforms me, I am being transformed - so that I can "discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
In Jesus' Name
Amen
Join me on a new journey! I launched a nonprofit called Forge Room Foundation in May. Consider connecting with us and supporting our mission. We help Christians develop sharp minds and soft hearts in order to serve God's purposes in the time and place He has assigned us. Learn more at www.forgeroom.org
I wonder if our deeper autonomic systems of attachment don’t engage our appetites even before our will. Remember the old ad, JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS? The part of the brain that desires relief from pain and discomfort has nothing to do with the part that can actually put words together to shape the thought. Thus the Romans 12:2 verse is spot on. We must become TRANSFORMED into a new person, attached in relationship so strongly with Jesus and his people that we become people that don’t do drugs as a way out of our pain. We ask ourselves instead, “what would my people do when they are hurting and feeling alone?”
If I am attached in HESED relationship… that is deeply bonded love, then my answer looks to that relationship for an answer instead of my appetites because my affections are grounded in love bonds instead of fear bonding. If I am really able to allow Jesus to heal the broken places in my emotional maturity, I will be able to mature spiritually. I cannot love my enemies if I am overwhelmed emotionally by them. To do what Jesus commands I must become a WHOLE person who is able to attach in relationship because of IMMANUEL… God with me. 3/4 of North American men have missing maturity development at the infant level stage of maturity development…3/4 of women have missing maturity skills at the child level stage.
The core ideas of much of this comes from the teachings of Dr.Jim Wilder and his associates who are focusing their attention on how God has wired us come into the world looking for someone looking for us… and it never stops. See Wilder’s writing in LIVING FROM THE HEART JESUS GAVE YOU and THE OTHER HALF OF CHURCH.
The operation of engaging our will is a key part of our maturity… but we will never be able to say no to destructive behavior if we are not able to see ourselves in such meaningful relationships that we are transformed into people who are capable of living our lives like Jesus would because we’re family who are bonded/attached in love.