Counsels on Lifestyle

Counsel #7 — Managing Natural Desires

Picture: Counsel #7 — Managing Natural Desires CLi 94.1

Sexual desires represent a God-designed component of being human - a beautiful expression of love within the context of marriage. Without spiritual guidance, these natural desires can lead to confusion, temptation, and activities that do not fall within God's plan for humanity. Understanding sexual urges involves learning to view them as God-given while seeking to align them with His will.^[85] CLi 94.2

By seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit, we can obtain wisdom on how to control our desires in a way that is pleasing to God. Passages like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 remind us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, calling us to live with self-control and purity. Accountability, wholesome relationships, and trust in God's plan for our lives are some ways we can learn to steward our impulses, leading to lasting spiritual peace. CLi 94.3

“’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV CLi 94.4

“As long as life shall last, there is need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. There is inward corruption, there are outward temptations, and wherever the work of God shall be advanced, Satan plans so to arrange circumstances that temptation shall come with overpowering force upon the soul.” Ellen White in Letters to Young Lovers, p. 27 CLi 94.5

Reflect: What do you do when you have sexual urges? CLi 94.6