Have you ever been so hungry that you would eat just about anything? Maybe you just arrived home from work and the hunger pains are driving you to the pantry. Anything looks good! You grab whatever you can find and start feeding the pains. When you are satisfied, you look over the carnage and can’t believe that you have demolished a whole bag of cookies, a jar of pickles, half a brick of cheese, and picked all the cashews out of the can of nuts. (Sadly, I am speaking from a place of experience!) Your desires had to be fed and sensibility was lost in the moment of satisfying the hunger.
In similar way, we feed other appetites which are driven by affections or desires. The need to feed that appetite creates a hole that has to be fed and so we will feed those pains with the object of our affection. For example, if you have an affection for a person, you will be driven to spend time with that person, you will do things for them that makes them happy, and you will prefer to be with them above all others. Affection, just like appetite, creates a motivate to act on those things that you desire, and your actions are evidence of that appetite.
Having an affection toward something can be wonderful, however, if not kept in check, our affections can be directed toward unhealthy things, or we can allow our drive to feed our affections to become so overwhelming that we will lose our sensibilities just to feed our insatiable desire.
This is clearly seen in 2 Samuel. Amnon, needed to feed his appetite, and it was horribly wrong. Amnon was David’s son and he had allowed himself to develop and inappropriate affection toward his sister, Tamar.
2 Samuel 13:2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.
This appetite became so overwhelming; it was all he could think about. His hunger consumed him emotionally and physically. He had to devise a way to feed his appetite! So, Amnon pretended to be sick and asked the king to send Tamar to aid in his recovery. When Tamar arrived, Amnon feasted.
2 Samuel 13:11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.
Tamar protested, but her pleas were not heard. An affection had to be fed, and Amnon was deaf to her distress.
2 Samuel 13:14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
After feeding this appetite and he was satisfied, he no longer had a need for Tamar. In fact, the Bible says that he hated her with a greater intensity than his original desire.
Amnon is the perfect example of how an unhealthy affection, and an uncontrolled drive to feed that appetite can lead to destructive decisions that end up harming others. We have control of the direction and the intensity of our affections.
An affection and motivation toward self has naturally results in self-serving actions. The reading from Proverbs speaks about the slothful man. The slothful man is driven by his affection or appetite for ease, and he will attempt to maintain his ease with any excuse.
Proverbs 26:13-14 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
The sluggard has no consideration for others. His affection toward self has paralyzed his ability to help others.
Proverbs 26:15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
Unfortunately, I have practiced an unhealthy affection to serve self and this cause a blindness to how my feasting was hurting others. This is not the affection I want to have.
Feeding an affection does not have to always be self-serving. I felt that Lord asking me, “Am I an object of your affection?”
Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
This question was impactful! I saw that I need to grow and enhance my affection toward my loving Lord with purposeful thought and action. I want to be thinking about Him, and I want my affection for Him to motivate my actions and be the basis of my appetite.
I recognize that if I don’t direct my affection toward the Lord, sadly many other affections will overpower the appetite I want to have for Christ. I need to take action to grow closer, experience my Lord on a daily basis, and learn more about His ways.
Psalm 119:33-34 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.I certainly don’t want to serve my affections, and allow it to control my actions like Amnon did. I want to control my affections, feed the right ones so they are healthy, and grow my affection for my Lord.
I certainly don’t want to serve my affections, and allow it to control my actions like Amnon did. I want to control my affections, feed the right ones so they are healthy, and grow my affection for my Lord.
Related Bible Passages:
2 Samuel 12-13
Psalms 119:33-48
Proverbs 26
Colossians 3-4
Have a face to face conversation with your Lord:
Lord, what do I have affection toward?
Lord, how do those affections motivate my actions?
Lord, do I have an affection toward something that tears me away from you?
Lord, I want to have an affection toward you. Help me to feed that affection so that it grows and so that it is healthy.
If you are interested in having a collection of these devotional conversations, consider purchasing the books. They are available from Amazon by clicking here.
Glory, Strength, & Beauty 
Thank you for your thoughts. They were helpful and needed.
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