TEMPTATIONS

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Temptation…

Wearying, frustrating, deceiving, distracting, derailing, and upsetting.

And when acted upon, it is “not great” … It morphs into sin.

Yet, believe it or not, it can be beneficial to experience temptation because it gives us an opportunity to reflect on our own behavior and grow. 

Vine's Greek Dictionary even remarks: 

“There are trials that are permitted for a beneficial purpose.”

And whether we like it or not, temptation is part of everyday life. Has been since the beginning.  Ask those first garden-dwellers. 

So, don't think there's a day that will go by when we won't experience the temptation to sin in a variety of different ways—like the temptation to stay angry at someone, to give up, to worry or complain, to be distracted with lust, to be selfish or disingenuous.

And realized that temptation is RELENTLESS because its author is.

(1 Peter 5:8)  

So we do have our hands full resisting it.

But…

God has given us the "fruit" of self-control, so when we're tempted to do wrong things, we can make right choices…

the SPIRITUAL nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

– Galatians 5:22-23 (GW)

Yet because “we are what we are”, we have some blind spots, some weak areas that the enemy loves to exploit.  That is why embracing the SPIRIT rather than our weakly cobbled flesh each day, each moment for that matter is crucial.  Even when we have succumbed to the tempting and embraced the sin, we can recoup, regroup and get back to the SPIRIT-side of things and reclaim and CULTIVATE the self-control that is needed!

CHRIST made us free. So, stand strong in that freedom. 

- Galatians 5:1 (ERV)

See, you may have received freedom and revelation in an area, but the enemy will always come back around and try to tempt you, especially if it has caused you to slip in the past.

That’s why we need to learn to continually say, “I am more than a conqueror in Christ the author and finisher of my FREEDOM from this temptation!"

Do that, pray that and GOD will help. 

Don’t try to deal with everything alone.  Just trying to resist the temptations in our own strength or will is doomed.  

Instead, go back and remember what that passage from Galatians 5 said.  

BECAUSE CHRIST made us FREE. 

In other words, Christ did the heavy lifting and amazingly He wants to keep lifting!...let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens. – Matthew 11:28 (LB)

Remember we can have the best of intentions and still cave in. That is why we need to get GOD involved as early and often as possible. 

Pray ahead of time; pray often about your areas of weakness.

God is always with you and He’ll never give up on you.  

He will always be there to help.

we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it. – Hebrews 4:16 (LB)

And as I said at the outset even though it seems implausible, GOD is faithful to make good out of every trial and temptation you go through and is faithful to help you through it.

with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 (CEB)

Have a blessed day!

I love you all…

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE