Lust vs. attraction

[samiam1611]

Can someone draw the line for me? When does attraction (ok) turn into lust (not ok)?
Specifically (as specific as you can be without being inappropriate) what is the difference in your thoughts or your body’s responses when comparing lust and attraction?

I don’t want theology…I want examples. That gray area. Where does okay turn into not okay?

 

[Edward_H]

Attraction is recognizing a good.

Lust is seeking a good for your own benefit.

Love is willing the good of another.

 

[valentino]

lust is contimplating immoral behavior.The desire to commit sin.to notice attractiveness then to ponder lustful action or desire.

 

[samiam1611]

I don’t mean attraction like oh hey that person over there is attractive. I mean like when you are with your significant other, you feel attraction towards them right? And you feel lust sometimes too right even though you know it’s wrong, you can’t help it sometimes. When does attraction turn into lust?

 

[jonathanjlinn]

When the attraction has turned completely sexual in nature (I assume un-married). I.e. the other becomes an object. I think any time bodily pleasure becomes the centered thought you are pushing into sin territory. Another thing to think about is if you place more emphasis on what you are looking at as opposed to who. If your mind begins looking at your significant other’s outsides in an overriding manor to his or her insides

Rule of thumb: if you can think of God while being in a state of attraction, you are in the Good, but whenever the attraction takes on an over riding state to thinking about God i.e. you would be uncomfortable sharing your current feeling/thought with God in a “casual conversation”, then you may be pushing into bad territory. For example: I can think God and she has nice hair together at the same time without a problem…but replace that with God and engaging in pre-marital sex, then the thought of God suddenly removes itself from my mind and I see my conscience as choosing my desire over that of God’s i.e. they are not in line together. That may not be practical, but you left the question very open.

In terms of bodily response:
Attraction - happy, wholesome, real – I think about the encounter in a positive light
Lust- Dirty, fake, foolish – feeling like the thought I had was without purpose and should have been avoided

 

[samiam1611]

When the attraction has turned completely sexual in nature (I assume un-married). I.e. the other becomes an object. I think any time bodily pleasure becomes the centered thought you are pushing into sin territory. Another thing to think about is if you place more emphasis on what you are looking at as opposed to who. If your mind begins looking at your significant other’s outsides in an overriding manor to his or her insides

Rule of thumb: if you can think of God while being in a state of attraction, you are in the Good, but whenever the attraction takes on an over riding state to thinking about God i.e. you would be uncomfortable sharing your current feeling/thought with God in a “casual conversation”, then you may be pushing into bad territory. For example: I can think God and she has nice hair together at the same time without a problem…but replace that with God and engaging in pre-marital sex, then the thought of God suddenly removes itself from my mind and I see my conscience as choosing my desire over that of God’s i.e. they are not in line together. That may not be practical, but you left the question very open.

In terms of bodily response:
Attraction - happy, wholesome, real – I think about the encounter in a positive light
Lust- Dirty, fake, foolish – feeling like the thought I had was without purpose and should have been avoided

Ok that is a good explanation. Which category do you think “the butterflies” falls in? Based on what you’ve said, I think they fall into the attraction category. There’s no dirty thoughts in my mind. But if I get the butterflies repeatedly in a short amount of time, I find myself receptive to the lust of another, if not in a lustful state myself. They’re not exclusive to romantic or sexual situations, and there’s nothing particularly pleasurable about them, and even in a romantic situation, just one or 2 flutters does not mean I will get aroused. But sometimes if I get them repeatedly, I find myself physically ready even though my head is just thinking happy, romantic thoughts. In other words…I don’t need any foreplay if I get the butterflies a whole bunch. But I was not thinking dirty thoughts that whole time! Or even at the present time! I wouldn’t even know I was in that state if I didn’t have someone who was interested in what state I was in!
Maybe it’s like, the default category that any action or feeling or thought is in is attraction…and it’s only when desire for bodily pleasure results from it that it crosses over to the lust side. What do you think?