The fine line between
temptation and desire
You know, last Sunday we were
having a small discussion on James 1:12-18 which talks about trials,
temptations and blessings. Verses 13-15 specifically talks about temptation. I
learnt something new that day. I probably think I would need to study more on this.
Anyway ……..
Trials can be defined as a formal test of performance. Trials are allowed by the LORD. Trials test our faith and trust in the Lord. Temptation on the other hand is a tendency that the Bible usually relates to something that is negative. Temptation leads us to the wrong path. The Bible clearly says that the LORD does not tempt us, then, what would one say of desire? Doesn’t desire also lead us to do wrong things? Desire need not always be bad. For example, the desire to proclaim the word of the Lord isn’t bad. Hence desire (although used in parallel with temptation in our daily language) is not temptation at all. Although I cannot deny that certain evil desires transform into temptation and are of no good at all, like James says in verse 14.
Having said all that, I had a major doubt. Why don’t you too give it a thought? Doesn’t the magnitude of desire and temptation vary from person to person? The answer to this would be, that the believer who has the Word of the Lord engraved in his heart would scare the devil off (Psalm 119:11) and for such people the magnitude of temptation is less. It is a relative degree.
If we were to mathematically say,
we can put it this way, the magnitude of resistance to temptation is directly proportional
to the hold we have on the Word of the LORD and how much we are close to Him.
It isn’t easy. It takes a lot of time, practise and a lot of faith to reach a
level where Satan flees your presence. Being a hard core believer means that Satan
finds it really tough to break your shell. That naturally includes a lot of
trials because that is when your command over the Scriptures and your trust is
put to the test. Like the gold being melted to purity in intense heat.
Thus, it is really important that though our daily lives are a very tight package of submissions, assignments, even talking to people can be a task (especially when it comes to people whom you know you might end up having an argument or your own authorities for that matter), we must spare time for the LORD.
This time can be used to talk our weaknesses out to Him and can also
include overcoming temptations. We spend so much of our time having
conversations with so many people. The question we have to ask ourselves is
that can’t we spare a few minutes to have a conversation with God?
Today what would be more
important you…….. Keeping the word of the LORD and the commands mentioned there
in, in your heart? Or…… being an easy prey for Satan? Eh?
I’m sure, definitely not the
second one.
The way I see it, I have a lot of
work to do in this area. Do you?
