Day 27: Defeating Temptation

Had a blessed day today. My daughter received her second promotion in her taekwondo class. She's up to orange belt, on her way to black. At least that's her goal. This experience is really teaching her to set goals and to work hard towards it. I pray she sticks it through. Also had dinner with Tama. He got home from the hospital today. He went through his first bout of chemo and said the doctors were optimistic. He goes in again next month to xray to determine if the tumor has shrunk or not and then determine their next move. He was in high spirits, but understandably, low on energy. But it was so good to see him. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Point to Ponder: There is always a way out.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: Who could I ask to be a spiritual partner to help me defeat a persistent temptation by praying for me?

Verse to remember: "God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give into it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

My response:

This chapter gives great advice on how to fight temptation. It is a fact of life that we will be tempted. That's because the devil's in the world. It began with Adam and Eve and the devil has tempted everyone since then, including Jesus. The key for us is to resist the devil and his tempting ways.

Some people feel defeated just to be tempted. They feel as if because their love for God is so strong that they should be immune from temptation. That's a trap the devil sets up for us. Again, even Jesus was tempted. We lust after things, its natural. Whether it's food, clothes, money, people, the world will tempt us over and over. The best thing to do is to ignore it. The more you think about something and try to block it out, the more you think about it. When temptation enters your mind, change your mindset.

And another thing I've found so useful is honesty with yourself. You know your weaknesses. We all have them. For some it's alcohol. For others it's gambling. Others might be tempted by sex. Pride is also a big one for many people. The key is to recognize the areas of your life that the devil can use to tempt you, and avoid them. We have to be smart. If we are tempted by alcohol, stay away from the clubs and bars. If gambling tempts us, stay away from gambling places. It's hard enough to resist the devil, let's not give him half the battle by putting ourselves in positions to fall.

Also have a good support group. Surround yourself with spiritual buddies that can see when you're tempted to stray. Again, if your aim is salvation, don't hang out with people that don't make that a priority. If you're going to Dallas, don't jump in a car with people going to Houston. Be smart and lean on God. Be blessed.