The Temptations

It's right there in front of you just like it's been there before.

It's glowing and has a distinct shine.

You feel empty inside knowing you could really use it.

Yet there is regret with it.

A regret that you know you will pay for.

Is it worth it?

You start debating is this a want or a need.

It might please you now but you will pay for it in two ways.

What do you do?

What will you do?

What is it?

Guess, I will mention it near the end.

Temptation is something we all deal with.

This isn't a feeling that goes away.

We are all tempted in different ways.

Tempted too…

• Buy the bigger and better things.
  
• Please ourselves by any means necessary.
  
• Have our wants replace our needs.
  
• To use our credit card to pay for something we don't have the cash for.
  

We are all tempted.

Jesus was no different…

Luke 4: 1-2…

"Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry."

Yes, Jesus was tempted.

Temptation is not a sin, it's something we all have to deal with.

How we respond to that temptation is or is not the sin.

Temptation leaves us with two ways, to stand up to it or succumb to it.

Over the next three weeks, I am basically away from my wife and kids.

You might think, wow that must be peaceful.

It is but at the same time it leaves me with a lot of time on my own.

Greg Stauffer said this in class one day (I will try to remember it as best I can), "It's not the person in public I worry about, it's the person and what they do when no one is around."

Anybody can fool anybody on Sunday morning.

In front of people it's possible to put on a great show.

But when no one is around is when the problems arise.

They tell NFL players nothing good can happen after midnight.

Think about all the good news stories you hear after midnight.

Any great ones come to mind?

When we are alone and left to our own thoughts with no one around it can be the most tempting times.

It's easier to fall into temptation.

In order to deal with this I have to have people that keep me accountable and keep me busy.

My biggest accountability partner is my wife and she is in Michigan.

So I count on my other people that I would classify as accountability partners.

This would be Rob Ball, Jason Sleight and Mike Waugh to name a few.

Without the support of others we will all fall.

We are not Jesus.

We can't go hungry for 40 days then faceoff against the devil and win.

We need help and support.

In the movie The Italian Job they put it this way…

"I trust everyone. It's the devil inside them I don't trust."

During these times I need help from people and help from friends.

I honestly try not catch myself being alone that much.

Over the past two days, I have spent the majority of the time with Bella.

Literally, I haven't had much time to talk to my wife because I have been around Bella.

When I am not working I have been with Bella.

Disc golf, lunch and volleyball yesterday.

Sunday it was disc golf and going over later at night to eat some chili (It would be mild to some but super spicy to me and it was awesome) and hang out to watch sports with Chad and Janelle.

The past two nights I haven't got home till around midnight and at that time I am out.

This has honestly been a blessing.

It's making sure I don't have idle hands.

Being with friends keeps me out of temptations, which is a good thing.

What about you?

Do you have people to keep you accountable?

Keep you from doing things you shouldn't be doing?

We can all try to handle temptation on our own.

Sometimes we do great and other times we fail.

Accountability prevents that from happening.

The answer to top question on top…

A Glazed Doughnut.

Sure it might taste good going down, but is it worth the fact you pay for something that is completely unhealthy for you?

On an empty stomach for breakfast, it might look great, but is it worth the cost?

What do you think?

Have a great day.