Temptation

Temptation

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

I GET SNACKY AT NIGHT, and the siren song of salty treats lures me into the kitchen. If I give in, it takes only a couple of bad choices before I undo all the good decisions I’ve made the entire day with respect to food, calories, and exercise.

It’s a frustrating loop because I know what I’m doing even as I do it, and I know I will regret my decision even as I reach for that bag of momentary deliciousness. And yet I still do it.

While midnight snacking in and of itself is not sinful, it is my giving in to temptation that I recognize as a serious problem.

I find that I’m the world’s very best justifier in moments of temptation. I’ll lie to myself about all of the ways in which this particular decision isn’t actually that bad for me. Depending upon the temptation, I’ll tell myself that this isn’t actually that sinful since others are doing significantly worse things, like murdering innocent people. I’ll tap-dance all around the rule, looking for loopholes and ways to technically comply while still getting to do whatever it is I’m hoping to do. I’ll tell myself that since God knows my heart, it’s okay to do this little thing. I recognize these tactics for what they are: an enticement to give in to what I momentarily desire instead of standing firm on what I know is good for me long-term.

Temptation is a choice, and we often choose short-term delight despite long-term, negative consequences. When the temptation involves sin, the choice is between life and death—perhaps not immediate death, but it is a choice toward turning from God and toward physical and spiritual destruction. When we choose sin, our ability to resist temptation weakens, but as we choose not to sin, our resistance to temptation grows stronger and stronger until the desire fades away.

Lord, help me identify my sinful temptations, and grant me the strength to refuse my desires until my resistance grows strong enough to fade away. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Pick something that tempts you and a corresponding Scripture to memorize. Recite that verse when faced with the choice toward life or toward death.