TEMPTATION

Temptation is one thing that is overrated, as well as underrated in life. Temptation simply means a desire to give in to your needs or wants even when it has adverse spiritual consequences.
You wake up in the morning, you're hungry. You cook food and eat. You've satisfied a need. There was no temptation involved. But if it was a day you decided to fast, and you wake up desiring that delicious pot of stew that you put in the freezer last night... Temptation has come calling.
Maybe you're not fasting. But your mum has given strict instructions not to touch that soup until she returns, and you're impatient, mentally hurrying her up to get home quickly. Temptation is knocking at your door.
When you're able to say "No" to it and do what you're supposed to do, then you've overcome it. But when you decide to answer to its call, you've fallen into temptation. Answering its call actually seems a smart thing to do at that moment it comes calling, but the regrets often set in soon after the deed is done. The consequences are usually more lasting, sometimes for the rest of your life.

If you desire to go on a diet so as to lose some unhealthy weight, but along the line give in to hunger pangs and love for burgers and you quit the dieting, do you know you fell into temptation? Yes. Temptation is not just about things like lusting after your neighbor's wife. The issue in quitting your dieting is not about whether you should eat burgers or not, the issue is that you lost self control, and was unable to take care of what God bequeathed to you - your body.
Overcoming temptation is about exercising Self-Control. Overcoming temptation is about taking care of your spirit, soul and body as a good steward. You know what's BEST for you and you train yourself to desire only that which is BEST for you.
Overcoming temptation is about Love, Respect and Reverence. You don't touch that soup till mum returns, not because you'll die if you eat it, but because you love and respect her, and your desire to please her is more important to you than the rumbling in your tummy.
You're told to stop talking about Jesus or you'll lose your job, but you keep talking about Him anyway, because you love Him and revere Him, and obeying Him is more important to you than your pay cheque at the end of every month.
Things will always come to sway you off the MARK OF YOUR HIGH CALLING. That's temptation. But you don't have to always struggle with temptation, you can live and reign above it. How? Grow in the Word of God, and grow in your love for Him. That just about sums it all up. God's Word can never tell you to do something that is detrimental to you or your loved ones. And if you love God, you'll love others whom He's made in His image and likeness.
You may ask, how about those who went through severe and brutal persecution because of what they believe the Word of God says? Was it not all suffering and loss for them? Well, your judgment depends on what your focus is. Know this: Life is more than what we see here on earth today. The time we're given here on earth is but a little speck in all of Eternity. It doesn't all end here, the journey continues even after your spirit leaves the earth realm. The time you've been given on this earth is to prepare you for what follows hereafter. So what those people may have suffered or lost in this earth realm because of their love for God and obedience to His Word, actually prepared them to receive something greater, much greater, higher and better, and far more glorious in the world hereafter. They overcame the temptation of denying God for self preservation, and gained Life Eternal. How can that ever be a loss?
God's scale is different from man's. But ask yourself this question: who made the world, man? Of course not. God made the world. Trust Him. Know Him. Follow Him. Love Him. And you'll rise above temptations with greater ease.
(Read James1:12-15)