Hi, my name is Mark and like most Christian guys, I have been struggling with and overcoming lust for a long time. I am a husband and father and am committed to continuing the struggle and the overcoming process with God because it is part of the "good fight" that I fight to become more like Jesus.

Several years ago in this "fight" I began to ask God to help me distinguish between the presence of Love in my life and the presence of lust. At the time, love was only a seed, but it was growing. Lust was the cancer I was trying to kill. Both were present. I knew a little of true Love and it was enough to begin the transition. Like drops of pure, holy water in a bucket of mud, I committed myself to staying underneath God's cleansing stream, knowing all the while that at some point the pure water would overtake the muddy waters and I could be free of this plague in my soul.

Through this fight and through God's Word and through His Holy Spirit and through some great friends who counseled me and loved me along the way, I began to see the vast differences between Love and lust and the bucket of mud in my life started getting cleansed...for real.

I found that Love is patient, but lust wants what it wants immediately. Love is kind, but lust is a mean and demanding slave-driver sort of fellow. Love does not envy, but the thirst and hunger of lust know no limitation of desire. Love does not boast, but lust is proud of its accomplishments and conquests. Love is not proud, but lust is aggressively self-exalting. Love is not rude, but lust pushes through appropriate social, interpersonal and personal boundaries to have its needs met. Love is not self-seeking, but lust is only self-seeking. Love is not easily angered, but lust and anger work together often as partners to try and tighten the chains of destruction. Love keeps no record of wrongs, but lust is naturally petty in its insane state of self-consciousness. Love does not delight in evil, but lust is evil. Love rejoices with the truth, but lust hides in the shadows and will do anything not to be caught. Love always protects, but lust as the embodiment of impotence, always surrenders. Love always trusts, as lust always creates distrust. Love always hopes, as lust always blocks the possibility of hope. Love always perseveres, as lust always saps the strength of perseverance. Love never fails, but lust never fails to disappoint.

Wish I could say I was all the way there but Praise the Lord I am not where I started out! Hope this helps...