The Difference Between Lust and Attraction

My neighbor purchased a new riding lawnmower.
It sparkles. It shines. It purrs like a kitten.
I can admire his lawnmower.
I can appreciate his lawnmower.

Or I can imagine myself riding his lawnmower.

My friend built himself a new home.
I can appreciate its form.
I can praise the builder for his craftsmanship.
Or I can imagine myself in that home; using it for myself.

Attraction in its purest sense encourages admiration.
Attraction toward something reminds us of a deeper, soul-felt attraction toward the One who built it.

Attraction is not apprehension.
Apprehension is to grasp, to seize, to use for oneself—even in one’s imagination.

When we move from admiring a person’s beauty as reflected through the body to the apprehension of that person’s body, we have left attraction and crossed the threshold of lust….
And into sin.

Key distinction:

The intention of the one who lusts is to separate the body from the person.
The body becomes the primary focus, while the person is disregarded.

In a man’s mind, the transition between attraction and lust occurs in a millionth of a nano-second.

Every man (nearly) will have hundreds of opportunities daily to overcome the temptation to lust and love a woman rightly.
It has been said that the proper response to a woman’s beauty is to bless her rather than to possess her.

The real man, rather than separating a woman’s body from her person (lust), separates himself from lust and allows her beauty to unite him to God (admiration).