Day 26: Growing Through Temptation

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."  James 1:2-3

Temptations are all around us.  Every day we have the opportunity to lie, cheat, steal, be unfaithful, yell, deceive, be unaccountible, and irresponsible.  By no means are the sins of today a punishment.  They are the stepping stone to developing character.  They are God's wake up calls where we are given choices.  The four corners of temptation are predictable which gives us an edge to making the right choices.

Temptation always focuses on a desire within you and whether it is a bad desire or not; temptation has a way of twisting and turning your desire to be sinful.  It feeds your ego and always begins in the mind.  This is where doubt, deception, and disobedience come into play.  Temptation wants you to doubt God and what is right.  It will conjur up lies and have you questioning every thing you have ever come to know.  It wants you to fulfill your deepest desires no matter what it takes.  No matter who it hurts.  No matter if it kills us.  It cares nothing of us or our souls.  What many of us forget is God is always watching and we should want to make Him proud.

We have all been there.  We have all been faced with temptations and found instances where it is hard to refrain and overcome the pull.  Many of us cower and feel ashamed of the temptation.  We must stand and not be intimidated; temptation only becomes sin when we give in and dwell on it.  There is no sin in finding another person attractive.  There is no sin in being tempted.  We should recognize our vulnerable buttons and come to terms with common patterns of temptations within ourselves.

Asking inner-personal questions like, "when?", "where?", "who?", and "how do I feel?" will help to pinpoint our most vulnerable areas.  It will give us insight to where we need to find more strength, make changes, and ask for God's guidance in the matter.  We have to be willing canidates to accept His help.  He is never too busy to hear a mayday from His children.  I have been tempted.  I have committted sin.  I am not ashamed nor regretful.  I have learned and grown in so many areas in my life.  I know each day holds a new temptation.  I know that I may have to let go of a relationship, friendship, activity, or even part of myself to avoid temptations.  Not only is this for the better of myself and relationship with God, but also the earthly relationships I currently possess.  Life requires sacrifices. . .who are you fighting for?

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."  James 1:22-24