Temptation

John A. Shedd, author of "Salt from My Attic," had this to say abouttemptation," Many men have too much will power.It's won't power theylack."

This sentiment of not giving in to one's desires seems to go againstwhat society tends to support; the idea that man should not deprivehimself of everything he craves.

Want a burger and fries even though the doctor said your cholesterol wastoo high? Go and get it at the local fast food restaurant! Getting tired of your spouse? Divorce them and find a new one! Bored? Go out and have a fling! Feeling down in the dumps? Let's get drunk and stoned! After all, everybody is doing it!

Not every urge, craving, and desire is a worthy one, for even the drugaddict hungers for his next high, yet we all know drugs are bad for you!

Saying,"No," to temptations seems to not only go against the "Gofor it" philosophy many people in our society promote, but even our bodyand mind seems to fight as we deprive it of the fuel it hungers for,regardless if this "fuel" is good or bad for our spiritual and emotionalwelfare.

Many people perceive temptation as a badthing. The reality is that it is not a bad thing, but a human thing.Everyone has faced temptation of one form or another in their life.

Temptation shows us where our weaknesses lie, and it is the wise man whouses this information to his best advantage. These weaknessesthat become revealed to us through temptation are areas in our lifewhich the devil knows he may find either an open door, or even a tiny crackhe can slip into.

The good news is, the more we say, "no" to temptation and ungodlydesires, the more we actually strengthen those weak spots! God does notdesire us to run and hide from temptation, but to face it head-on sothat we may clearly see the potential pit before us. Our heavenlyFather desires us to confess our sins, admit our weaknesses, and to askHim for the strength and wisdom we need to stand against evil.

Today, thank God for loving you so much that He has allowed you to usetemptation as a means of seeing, and thus overcoming, your sinfulness.

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Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2003 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living Ecstatic Loving: How to have more peace and joy in marriage, and life in general by walking in harmony with God," and "Son Salutations: A refreshing collection of modern inspirations for those who seek God each day." For more information, visit her web page at www.angelfire.com/mi/melschurr