OVERCOMING TEMPTATIONS - PART II

Dealing with temptations can be challenging because of our desires. We can talk about how we can overcome our temptations, but it takes dedication, courage, and faith in God every single day to decide not to give in to our desires that are not aligned with God's will or are sinful. In the heat of the moment, emotion and desire typically overpower our reasoning or logic. The reason is that the limbic system of our brain, which focuses on what makes us feel good, activates much faster than our logical control center, which is the prefrontal cortex. If we do not force ourselves to think about the consequences of our actions first before we act, we will act according to our impulses. Our rage, eating the things that we want to avoid, watching movies that are sinful, excessive drinking, taking drugs, or doing things that are disruptive and unhealthy, usually comes from our impulses. Resisting a temptation by simply repeating, "I must not do this," is self-defeating. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to overcome our temptations by simply telling ourselves to stop, because it keeps our attention focused on the very thing we are trying to avoid, which only increases our desire.  

God is the only one who can help us overcome our temptations. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." No matter how we struggle in dealing with our temptations, our Lord Jesus can help us overcome them. One of the ways out that God has for us when we are being tempted is to immediately redirect our attention to something else entirely—call a friend, do a quick physical task, such as taking a walk, go for a run, do exercise, or change your environment. The other way out is to focus on the positive outcome if we do not give in to our temptations. For example, we will have better spiritual and physical health. We will be at peace instead of guilt and shame. We will have better relationships with others and our families. As I mentioned yesterday, the other two ways out are to avoid places where we know we will be tempted and prepare our minds for how we will react before we enter a compromising situation. Lastly, the most effective way to overcome temptation is to have accountability with another person or a group, excluding our spouse. This individual or group should consist of people of the same gender whom we can trust and who can pray for us. 

Dealing with our temptations is not easy, but with our Lord Jesus' help, we can overcome them. God has given us information on how our brain works that relates to our desire and reasoning, and He also gave us things that we can do to overcome our temptations. I pray that we will not give in to our temptations because Satan's goal is to destroy what is good in us. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Who can help me to overcome my temptations? What are the things that I can do to overcome my temptations? Am I willing to change to be the person that God wants me to be and be where God wants me to be? 

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I need your help in overcoming my temptations. Please give me the courage to change. When I am faced with temptation, please remind me of the steps I can take to avoid it. Give me the strength to do what is necessary to escape these temptations. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.