What about a little fantasy??

Does God know your fantasies?

Last night my husband and I were watching on MSNBC the show Headliners and Legends. They were highlighting serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and showed clips of an interview with him. They were interviewing his family and told the story of his life, starting even with his mother's pregnancy. At one point Jeffrey Dahmer was talking about his life before he killed his first victim. He said something very interesting that really got me to thinking. He said that before he took his first victim, he would fantasize about his acts. I won't go into details, but he lived out his crimes in his mind over and over again. Very specific fantasies, he lived in a sick and twisted fantasy world. Until one day he crossed over from fantasy to real life and carried out his crimes exactly how he imagined it in his mind over and over. Then he said once he crossed that line from fantasy to real life, he couldn't control his fantasies anymore and started living them out in real life again and again.

Now obviously this is an extreme case, but it got me to thinking what the Word says about fantasy and this is what I found.

Matthew 5:27-29 27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

There is a powerful connection between what's in our heart and who we are; who we will become and which path we will take in our life.

There was a time in my life when I felt very angry that God wanted ALL of my heart, even the hidden places. "Can't I have even a little privacy God?" "What's wrong with a little fantasy???" "It's not as if it hurts anybody."

Of course I'm not even talking about murderous fantasy, but what about simple stuff like reading a book or watching a movie and lusting after a character? Or even looking at a friend's spouse and seeing all these great qualities and wondering what it would be like if I were married to that person. I'm not even talking about sexual lust here, but thoughts like "wouldn't life be so easy if only........"

These thoughts are dangerous, they are poision. It causes something in the heart and in the mind to change. It starts pushing you in a direction that at first you might not even want to take.

This life here on earth is about a fight, we are fighting our flesh. Our flesh desires and wants what is evil, the things of this world. Naturally our flesh calls us, it desires to be stroked to be petted. James 1:15 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Now knowing this what do we do in this fight?? How can we possibly win?

That's what is SOOOOOOOOOOOO amazing about the Word!!! He tells us what to do!!!!

Philippians 4:7-9 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.