Resisting Temptation

Temptation:  a desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.

by Mike Corthell

First of all, temptation is not sin. We know this because Eve was tempted before she was imperfected and Jesus was tempted, even though his was perfect.

A person’s true nature, that which he possesses in the spiritual part of his being, determines what  tempts him on the outside. Temptation like many other things has a duality. So there is good temptation as well as bad. The temptation felt fits the person being tempted and reveals the potentialities of their nature. Your decision determines if the temptation is good for your soul.

''We gain the strength of the temptation we resist.''

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

• Know your weaknesses.
• Anticipate temptation.
• Strengthen your convictions.
• Find supportive friends.
• Avoid circumstances that will make temptation harder to resist.
• Pray for help.

Temptation is not something we can avoid. It is part of living and is absolutely essential for living a well-rounded life. You shouldn't feel that you are all alone in being tempted. We all go through it. It is a common inheritance, not something that no one has ever experienced before.

''There is nothing new under the sun...'' — King Solomon 

God does not keep us from being tempted, He sustains us, and strengthens us and helps us through the temptations of life by giving us wisdom. Ask for wisdom in prayer.

So, what is the good of temptation? When we experience temptation it gives us the opportunity to reflect on our behavior and grow. We become a better person. The trials we go through in this life are put there, by God for our benefit. In other words, God is faithful to make good out of every trial we go through.

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