Tempted?
When tempted, struggling with selfish desires and compulsions, be prepared in advance to do the opposite—to do good for oneself and others. Just as important, beware of ‘friends’ who encourage us to fulfill our worldly desires, whether it be with drugs, alcohol, pornography, divorce, or by putting our husband, wife, or other loved one ‘in his or her place!’
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. Jud 1: 17-19 (NIV)
Be Alert
We all face temptations and challenges as we strive to fill our God-Shaped-Hole. Thus we need a plan and support system to respond consistently according to our values and convictions. All invitations to do evil (slight or severe) are indeed opportunities to do the opposite. To transform the opportunity, we must be able to decipher the message, unravel that which is puzzling us, recognize the pattern, and have a plan (and support system) to convert the situation into an opportunity.
Recall the steps we must take to identify invitations to do wrong:
Step 1: Evil identifies a desire from within our hearts.
Evil targets even a noble desire—and warps it into lust, greed, sloth, envy, gluttony, covetousness, anger, or pride, insidiously camouflaging the wayward path as the one more easily navigated. We must be wary of shortcuts and not shy from the road less traveled.
Step 2: Temptation plants a seed of doubt.
By leveraging our doubt, evil begins to warp our desires into sinful ways.
Step 3: Evil seeks to deceive using lies of commission, omission, and half-truths.
The lies sound good, perhaps even too good to be true!?!
Step 4: Our ‘natural desires’ lead us to disobedience.
Temptation alone is not wrong or evil, but how we respond to temptation is often another story. We choose to do wrong rather than to do right―to take the easy way out rather than the road less traveled.
Step 5: Evil abandons us to face the consequences of our actions.
When sin is allowed to grow, it “gives birth to death.” Thus begins a vicious cycle. Our spirits become damaged or ill, plagued by self-indulgent motivations, which in turn leads to false justification of temptations and poor decisions. Poor decisions damage our spirits. The cycle continues, and with sound thought temporarily abandoned, evil is certain to return and exploit yet another desire even if we should somehow regain our way.
We Blame God
Interestingly, when left by the devil to reap the ills of our failure, we often lash out; we, in fact, blame God rather than the real source of evil. We ask, ‘’Why would a loving God allow…?”
Jesus’s half-brother, James, explained Lucipher is the great deceiver, not Christ nor God.
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brother and sisters.” (James 1:13–16 [NIV])
Refuse the Invitation to Do Evil
We all struggle to resist one temptation after another. Poor decisions, failing to resist temptations if left unchecked lead to a damaged spirit. This vicious cycle must be interrupted. Some of our desires are small, such as “should I eat that second piece of cake?” Others are not so insignificant, such as “Should I cheat on my spouse? Perhaps I’ll get a divorce?!?” In books 1 and 2 of the Legacy Series, VerAegis―Relationships and VerAegis―Contribution, we addressed the technique of scripting or creating a plan of action to counter our moments of weakness. Caving to temptation is another weakness we all share. Consequently, we each need a plan to decline these invitations to do wrong, fight temptation, interrupt the cycle, and heal our spirit.
Step 1: Recognize the pattern of temptation.
All temptations start with our inner desires; even noble desires.
Step 2: Examine the motives behind your desires.
If our motives are wrong, nothing can be right. Once we align our motives and methods with values based on timeless principles, we will be on track to resist temptation.
Step 3: Do not be intimidated.
Do not feel weak or isolated when tempted. At one time or another, we each face temptations. You are no different. Seek solace in a higher power and strength in friendship. “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6 [NIV]) We must share our desires and motivations with one or more trusted friends who will help us stand strong “as iron sharpens iron.”
Step 4: Be prepared to perform good deeds.
Understand which circumstances and desires are your weakest points and thus most likely to lead you astray. “So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:12 [NIV]) Create an action plan of accountability, and most importantly, a plan to do good for others. If you fill your time with good deeds, you will have less time to do wrong. Approach your job with a spirit of service. If time allows, volunteer to coach youth sports, teach music, write, tutor, make dinner for your family, work at a local food center, serve at church, or assist at your local school. There are endless good deeds that will benefit others and improve your self-worth in the process. Be prepared to seek forgiveness and reconciliation when you fall. If you do not repair the damage, evil’s noose tightens, and the door to temptation widens.
Step 5: Take time to ask God for help.
Request assistance in replacing the temptation with something good; He will often provide an escape route that leads to virtue. Believers and nonbelievers alike can (and should) ask for help. Often, even believers don’t include seeking God as part of their plan to identify and refuse temptation. Nonbelievers sometimes think that it is foolish—even childish—to seek God’s help. (Guess who planted those seeds of doubt?) Can it possibly be more foolish to ask for help than it is to yield to destructive temptations?
Before and during our moment of temptation is the time to request help; pray and:
“…Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” (Ephesians 6:10-13 [NLT])
I Hope This Motivates All to Fill Thier God-Shaped Hole With…Wait for it…God!
Use His strength to determine your response to temptation and anger. At a minimum, seek the help of a good and trusted friend, perhaps someone who can intervene for you. We must not deny the goodness that lives within. We were created to perform good deeds; we need to do what is right to feel whole to fill the God-Shaped hole in our lives.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
Adapted from VerAegis Spirit by James M. Haden (Get your copy today at Amazon.com)
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