Temptation, Christmas approaching, gifts for others
1 Corinthians 10:13 When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so you will not give in to it.
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation.
Temptation attacks us all at different times. It might be a sparkly new handbag, a nice looking bunch of tools, new clothes, a new vehicle, or a relationship with a person you have no business being involved with, whether it be one of you being married, or some other reason to not be in a relationship with a particular person. Temptation comes at us in all different manners–material things, relationships, or circumstances of someone else.
The ten commandments tell us not to be tempted or covetous of neighbors’ goods, and the last to not be covetous of the spouse and relationship. As a child I always wondered if it was almost an afterthought of God. Maybe these commandments were not as high up as the others, not as severe. Hmm, maybe that was wishful thinking as I often found myself envying and wishing for something more…didn’t much matter what, sparkles, trinkets, clothing or whatever.
There are times, we want to buy something–to fill a desire, a lack, an envy, a hole of some kind. Often we do not assess “the why” we want something when we have plenty. The desire, yearning, craving fills us more than the wisdom, the questioning of the item’s purchase, the cost (financially, emotionally, mentally and or physically) the realization this is not an appropriate thing for us to have. Satan keeps picking at the desire you have, urging you to pick it up and make it yours. It is difficult to sometimes reason it out when it is right there before you.
It helps if you can step away. Get distance from the object of your wants so you can better reason out all the pros and cons. If there are cons, are they worth it? Is your conscience at peace? Will you worry about the cost? Is the cost one you can afford? Emotionally? Physically? Mentally? Financially? Will you be paying for it for the rest of your life? Will it cost you your life?
But in His wisdom He prepared a way for us to fight the temptation, to seek Him and be able to resist the thing we are tempted to have when it is not in our best interests either because we can not afford it, it is harmful to us emotionally, mentally or physically, or for whatever reasons. We know when we are being warned off as God has equipped us with a conscience that strongly tells us to wait, to not go forward until later, or not at all. Seek Him before you buy something you cannot afford, do not need, will not use or wear, and is not right for you. I hate to think of the times, I have ignored that warning voice… And then there are almost an equal number of times, something has sat in the closet, not worn–slightly too tight, have nothing to match with it, it truly is not the style I am, but maybe someone else’s, and I had craved the similarity….
The warning voice is there and we all need to pay attention to it. I KNOW I do. And I have become somewhat better, but it is a constant reaching out for His direction and reminding myself to not find “excuses” why I should have the piece then. It’s a struggle for me. I have to remind myself to shut Satan and his lies out, and listen to the quieter but truer, more sensible voice of the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Father for sending us the Holy Spirit once Your Son, our savior died and rose.
As I stumble sometimes in my walk, I know You have blessed me abundantly in all ‘mybellaviews.’
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