The Thing About Temptation

‘What am I going to do with this boy?,’ I think to myself as I scold him for the 15th time.

“MM leave those things alone!”

Sitting in the corner of the living room, which turns out to be his primary play area, is a large box of fragile items. The box sits in this particular corner because this space is the only area to conveniently put them. Somehow, I haven’t been able to convince my son to leave the items alone. After explanations, yellings and threats from all adults in the house, somehow he still ends up back in that corner picking up the delicate items to play with.

Funny: his giant toy box is at the other corner and he’s been totally ignores it!

DON’T DO IT! Why is that so hard to understand? Why won’t he obey? What is it with this disobedient child? Rather, he still ends up back there, doing the same thing over and over with a satisfied smile, oblivious of my disapproval even though I’ve reprimanded him several times before…

But isn’t that just like temptation?

It is ever present, always easy to access.

Can I really expect him to obey when the temptation sits squarely before him constantly?

The solution? The Bible says to FLEE. (See I Corinthians 6:18; I Corinthians 10:14; I Timothy 6:11, II Timothy 2:22)

Don’t make it easy!

Don’t keep it around!

Get rid of it with a quickness!

And you know, the amazing thing about it is that He will always make a way of escape for us.

I Corinthians 10:13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].

I just found our way of escape while writing this: I moved the box to a little space on the other side of the baby gate.

Inconvenient and in the way, yes, but we will be the better for it.

-Lyrics by tia 2011

September 18, 2011 11:45am- 12:21pm