Karma

Spiritual Consequences of Lust

Just as healthy food nourishes your body, purity nourishes your spirit.

Lust is different. Lust strengthens your attachment to sexual pleasure and desire. Lust objectifies and dehumanizes, reducing people to mere objects for self-gratification.

When you give in to lustful impulses, you reinforce habits that are hard to break. In karmic terms, you bind yourself to cycles of craving and dissatisfaction.

The more you act on lust, the more you create conditions where you will face similar desires and challenges again. This can trap you in patterns that limit your true sense of freedom.

You may think lust promises excitement. But in reality, it leaves you restless as you find yourself on a merry-go-round searching for the next brief thrill to quench an insatiable desire that always returns.

Jesus once warned about the dangers of lust:

“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Matthew 5:28

This means that lust is not just an action, but the condition of your heart. A lustful heart can bring repetitive thoughts, which are difficult to control.

Lust is often accompanied by other sins like adultery, pornography, masturbation, and fornication. If you use someone for your own pleasure, you’ll have to pay off these karmic debts.

How should we deal with lust?

Jesus once said:

“If your right eye causes you to stumble, 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. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Matthew 5: 29-30

The Differences Between Love and Lust

Both love and lust can be intense, all-consuming, and leave you feeling euphoric. However, there are crucial differences between the two that you need to understand:

AreaLustLove
MotivationLust is about physical gratificationLove emphasizes emotional/spiritual intimacy
FocusLust focuses on physical desire, attraction, and fantasyLove appreciates the whole person and their authentic essence
Self-perspectiveLust is self-centeredLove is mutual caring
DurationLust is temporary and fades quickly after sex or conquestLove is potentially lifelong
CommitmentLust lacks devotion and is oriented toward casual, one-night-stand relationshipLove involves committed monogamy and is oriented toward long-term relationship
CommunicationLust has superficial communicationLove has deep communication and sharing
SacrificeLust requires little or no sacrificeLove requires the sacrifice of selfishness
PatienceLust wants instant gratificationLove is patient and grows over time
Gut feelingLust is driven by adrenaline and hormonesLove has a calm feeling and a spiritual root