Temptations are everywhere….e.v.e.r.y. w.h.e.r.e…. and what temps one person, can easily be walked away from by another. Take these donuts for example…they look good, don’t they? Ah, that sugary smell, the softness of fresh baked pastries…can you almost taste it? Do you want one? I don’t. Was there a time I would have said yes to 2 or 3 of these sugary confections in one sitting? Absolutely…but there are other things that tempt me more…way more… popcorn smothered in coconut oil, butter and sea salt I literally cannot say no to once I smell it {and yes, it’s 10am as I type this and I am eating some now}….I’m tempted to take control of situations…tempted to push the limits on a decorating project budget {I mean, how much can one more little piece of furniture or accessory really hurt}…tempted to buy more rubber stamps, I know I have about 300 {no joke} but I don’t have this cute little one or that shape… tempted beyond control at IKEA {no further comment needed}… and oh so tempted to stay in bed on a Sunday morning because isn’t it our day of rest? Can’t church start at 5pm so I can stay in my jammies as long as possible?
There are certainly greater temptations some battle against than others…addictions come to mind…we all have them. Even the little ones can become big ones if we believe we can overcome them alone.
Even Jesus was tempted…Matthew 4:1-11 gives the account of Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. “if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”, and then standing on the highest point of the temple in the Holy city “If you are the Son of God throw yourself down”. And as if that was not enough, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor and said, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me”…yikes!
So if Jesus was tempted, you can bet we will be tempted day in and day out, all the days of our lives. Our flesh is weak, so temptations are something we can’t kick to the curb on our own. It’s with His strength that we are able to say NO. Are we going to stumble?…Y.E.S…it’s guaranteed. Prayer, accountability, baby steps {1 donut instead of 3 is a victory, right?}, and not beating ourselves up over our inability to be perfect are great starting points!
So why am I writing this? As you may have read in my post about “Life Doesn’t Fit in a Box”…we’re moving on and starting over. With that comes uncertainties, anxiousness, excitement and also dreams, so, I’ve found myself tempted to dream really big to the point I am setting myself up for disappointment and failure…tempted to focus too much on having to be settled quickly, all at once, shopping done, cute goats running around their new custom built play area, the garden bursting with herbs and flowers, projects completed in the wave of a magic wand instead of enjoying the “process”…kids settled and happy quickly {because it’s realistic to expect that from 3 teenagers!}, tempted to think I can create this “new start” overnight… because clearly I have superhuman powers! I mean, I do use essential oils so clearly “there’s an oil for that”.
So for me…my biggest temptations are my own thoughts. And sometimes they are so hard to reign in!
So while I may be able to easily say no to that platter of donuts {they were sitting, on my counter last Sunday morning for my son’s 17th birthday}, there are many things I struggle to say no to… I’m tempted…and temptations turn to actions and I’m doomed to think I can stop the progression on my own!
What tempts you?
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