DEALING WITH TEMPTATION

DEALING WITH TEMPTATION

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God
IS faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are
able, but with the temptation WILL provide a way of escape also, so that
you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

"Let's talk about the wrongs that you allow yourself to fall into. I am
not talking about major sins - deliberate disobedience to God on major
issues is not usually a problem a committed Christian deals with on a
daily basis. I am talking about not stopping a sharp word, or being
deliberately quarrelsome. These things you have some control over, but
you let yourself do what you want.

The closer you get to God, the more miserable things you will find in
your heart. This is not a negative thing - God allows it to let you lose
confidence in yourself. You will have accomplished something when you
can look at your inner corruptness without anxiety or discouragement and
simply trust in God. But you should try to not let yourself fall into
temptation.

There are two resources against temptation. One, be faithful to God
within you. Avoid all that is better left avoided. Of course you are not
always able to avoid these situations, some are brought to you by God
and will do you no good to flee them.

The second resource is to turn to God when you are tempted. If you find
that you've consented to temptation, then head straight back to God.
Take the example of a child who hides his face in his mother's bosom as
soon as he sees something that frightens him.

Practice staying in God's presence so that you are able to respond to
His leading immediately. In a way, there is little to do in doing the
will of God. It is true that holding back nothing from God is doing
quite a bit. God's love searches the secret places within, looking for
anything that resists Him.

On the other hand, Christianity is not found in a multitude of rules,
nor in holding yourself back from every pleasure. Just yield yourself to
Him without reserve. Live in the present moment. Let God do what He sees
fit without resisting Him, and agree with God without trying to justify
what you want to do. Temptation is a necessary part of a Christian's
life. Don't be upset by even the most shameful temptation. Look at God
and dwell continually in His presence - He will keep your feet from
falling." From THE SEEKING HEART - by Fenelon

Great quote: "There are certain attitudes we should never dare to
indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in
God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no
value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what
rules our lives." Oswald Chambers

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