forbidden fruit... (part II of II)

Temptation is something we all face as Christians, no matter how long we have been following Christ. Yesterday I used mangoes as a personal temptation, but really, there are WAY more tempting things in my life... but I would like to be perceived as holy so I'll plead the fifth on this one :) There are a few practical things, however, that we can do to grow stronger and smarter in our struggle against sin. You can learn how to avoid temptation by practicing these five steps.

1. Recognize your tendency toward sin.

   James 1:14 explains that we are tempted when we become enticed by our own natural desires. The first step toward avoiding temptation, is recognizing our human tendency to be tempted by our own fleshly desires. Temptation is a given, so don't be surprised by it. Rather, expect to be tempted. Be prepared for it.

2. Run away from the temptation.

   I love the New Living Translation of 1 Corinthians 10:13. It says, "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."

   When you are face to face with temptation, look for the way out that God has promised and then run as fast as you can.

3. Resist with the Word of truth.

   Hebrews 4:12 says God's Word is living and active. Did you know you can carry a weapon that will make your thoughts obey Jesus Christ? If you don't believe me, read 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 One of these weapons is the Word of God.

   Though it can be helpful to read God's Word when you're being tempted, sometimes that's not practical. Even better is to practice reading the Word daily, so that eventually you have so much of it inside, you are ready whenever temptation comes. If you are reading through the Bible regularly, you will have the full counsel of God at your disposal.

4. Refocus with praise.

   How often have you been tempted to sin when your heart and mind were fully concentrated on worship to the Lord? Praising God takes your focus off of yourself and puts it on God. You may not be strong enough to resist temptation on your own, but as you focus on God, he will inhabit your praise. He will give you the strength to resist and walk away from the temptation. May I suggest Psalm 147 as a good place to start.

5. Repent quickly when you fail.

   In several places the Bible tells us the best way to resist temptation is to flee from it (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). Yet still we all fail from time to time. We fail to flee. Notice I didn't say, repent quickly if you fail. Having a more realistic view—knowing that at times you will fail—should help you to repent quickly when you do. It is not the end of the world when you fail, but it is very dangerous to persist in your sin. Going back to James 1, verse 15 explains that sin "when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

forbidden fruit... (part I of II)

From the bag on the table it called my name. With an accented voice, it hithered me nigh. As I squeezed it gently the sweet aroma captured me like a shepherd's crook. It was if the serpent himself tempted me while slivering onto my arm to whisper half-truths in my ear... and like the mother of all women bit into the forbidden fruit, so did I.

Some theologians believe that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was an apple. I think it was a mango. And I have the swollen lips and hive marks to prove it. For as long as I can remember I've been allergic to mangoes and I usually have enough willpower to stay away from them. But while on an island far removed from my normal reality, I fell like Eve. We both knew the consequence was far greater than the cost, but our desire trumped our logic and we fell into the belief that we would be the exception and not the rule.

See, I know what happens when I eat fresh mangoes. My family knows what happens when I eat fresh mangoes. My friends know what happens when I eat fresh mangoes. I have an infrastructure of support of those who know to keep the girl with the mango allergens away from sweet, orange balls of goodness. Even while on my vacation my father reminded me, B, don't eat those things. You know what happens. I nodded in dutiful obedience but ripped into the fruit in the solitude of my hotel room. I torn off the skin with my hands and sucked, gnawed, and chewed off every sweet yellow fiber from the seed. Then watched as my lips swelled and hives appear on my arms. Like James 1:14 warns, I had been dragged away and enticed by temptation.

Sin is just like this. From the beginning of time, we've believed that we could handle the repercussions of sin and the lure of temptation... but Eve couldn't, Adam couldn't, and I couldn't. In honor of my healing swollen lips, tomorrow I will post a few thoughts about how to avoid temptation :) In the meantime, stay away from your forbidden fruit!