Insidious Temptation.............

Temptation……. It is like the “F’ word. WE know it is there but we do not want to talk about it. Each of us deal with temptation every day. When trying to eat healthy, you know what temptation is. It is physical, emotional and visual. The smells of food, pictures and commercials on television, recipes popping up on Facebook pages, can all trigger the temptation to just take a taste of one morsel. That is when the temptation has grabbed you right in. There is deception with temptation….. the little voice in your head that says “one little bit will not hurt me”. Food is just one example but there are some really serious temptations that can lead to the opening of deception and before you know it, you are drowning in the dread and dealing with the consequences.

In Mathew 5:29, we are told that “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gauge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose your eye than your whole body be thrown into hell.”

Whatever you are tempted by sounds great in the moment…… and often it comes when we are vulnerable. Marriage may not be going great. You feel lonely. A man you know from afar provides a bit of attention. (Temptation) Before you know it, you are flirting, telling yourself that it is a little innocent bantering (deception). Voila! You find yourself in a compromising situation and eventually it all catches up. Saddest issue is that you start to go deeper in and to forget about how bad it all is, you look for more and more and then eventually it all crumbles beneath you. If children are involved, they get hurt. Your spouse gets hurt and the list goes on.

Did you know that Satan tempts Jesus? He takes him high on a mountain and shows him all the world’s glory and offers it up. All Jesus had to do is kneel to him. Keep in mind that JESUS knows what is coming up for him. HE knows the cross he will bear. But in Mathew 4:8-11, we see him tell Satan just where to go. And JESUS makes sure that Satan knows who HE serves. JESUS says “For the scriptures say Worship the LORD your GOD and serve only HIM”. Satan leaves and the angels came and take care of JESUS.

Each day, each moment we make decisions that will ultimately affect our life. Each day and each moment we are faced with temptation. Each day, each moment, we must say “Satan, get thee behind me for I worship MY LORD, JESUS.” When we say then we release the power of JESUS and he comes and takes care of us.

What are you sitting with? What is tempting you? Is it a hard day at work and all you want to do is to have a drink when you know where it will lead you? Are you anxious about financials and you use your credit cards to the point of no return? Are you lonely and looking for love in the wrong places? We have all been there. I have been there. I have been lonely, anxious, tired and fed-up and wanted to reach for that quick fix (temptation) and my head and the world tells me, “just do it” – “it is only one” “we are just messing around” “it feels good to get that attention” “I can forget about life for a while” (Deceptions).

Obviously we are not going to gouge out our eye but we can remove the problem. WE can leave the place where the temptation is, we can change our mind on how to move forward, we can get down on our knees and pray. Because praying in JESUS’ name will release us; will prevent that deception from becoming a temptation and then that temptation becoming a big mess.

Two options, one choice……………………. Temptation OR GOD? 

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