Allowed vs. Invited

If you have ever made excuses for your sin, you are not alone. We get angry, then blame the behavior of someone else as our 'reason' for the outburst. We engage in gossip, then excuse it as a 'reason' to pray for someone. We overindulge on snack foods, then blame the lack of self-control on stress as the 'reason' for that silliness. Been there, done that, bought the shirt, and wore it out!

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. (James 1:14-18)

Temptation comes from OUR OWN desires. They are not a result of someone else's behavior or the circumstances we are facing. Allow God to deal with the heart, desires begin to change, temptation has less and less effect. It is that simple, yet all that hard. Sin is given an inroad because we ALLOW it to have than inroad. We refuse to deal with the temptation when it is small, choosing to indulge it, then wonder why sin is 'fully conceived' in us.

Whatever we desire most, we will pursue with the greatest and most intense urgency. Let that one sink in a bit. The more intense our desire, the more intense our pursuit. The link between desire and action must be acknowledged. If our desires are leading us astray, we need God's help to change those desires. A shift in focus is necessary. Desires are often impulsive. Asking God to help us deal with our impulsivity might mean he will ask us to begin an intense study in his Word to fill our minds with new thoughts that are opposite of the ones that have led to those desires.

Temptation isn't just dealt with through prayer. I have heard many an individual say, 'just pray about it', when the temptation comes along. Breaking free of temptation will require a multi-faceted approach. Discovering what God says in his Word, listening intently to his wisdom from others who have dealt with similar issues, and time spent formulating a 'game plan' is equally important. Temptation has many links in the chain leading up to the 'ball' of sin at the bottom. We frequently overcome temptation by breaking one link at a time. When God gives insight into a 'link' in the chain, take hold of that insight and break that link. One by one, step by step, the temptation we 'allowed' will be replaced with the holiness we 'invite in'. Just sayin!