First of all.....temptation in itself is not a sin. Once we give into it, then it becomes a sin. We as humans love sin. We are born that way, but once we accept Christ the desire to sin is less. We get a new way of thinking and want to please God so we think before we act, so to speak. We are always tempted to do wrong......but that doesn't mean we have to fall into it.
A few years ago I was struggling with my relationship with God. I chose to listen to music that wasn't Christian and as a result, I was distancing my self from Him. Let's be clear.....I'm not blaming the music for my distance, but I was choosing to listen to what didn't honor God and as a result I started to fall into old habits. Music and I go way back. I can hear a song and remember an event or a situation or a relationship just by hearing it. Song lyrics don't ever seem to leave my brain. The way I feel when I hear the song doesn't leave my brain either.....so I get wrapped up in a mess I don't need to be in just because I choose to listen to what I shouldn't. This series of events becomes a stumbling block for me. No one knows what makes me stumble but me....so I am my own worst enemy.
When I was 18, I loved hanging out with my friends and drinking. Jack Daniels was my favorite. I had friends over 21 that would buy my whatever I wanted. Back then, I lied, cheated, and broke my parents trust just to get a good buzz on. I am not proud of this, but the temptation was so great, I could not say "no". Today.....I don't drink at all. I am afraid of what would happen to me as a result. I had a real problem back in the day, but even though it's been years and years, the "feeling" of it all may be too much for me. It would create another stumbling block for me so I avoid it. I have come to a place where I want to please my God and this is a way I can do that without sacrificing anything. I can say "no" now and I do. The temptation to party and be drunk isn't there like it used to be. I don't hold anything against people who want to drink. Just for me.....I choose not to.
I get tempted everyday....as we all do. The thing is we have a choice. We can run or we can give in, But once we give in, we have stumbled. The thing that is so great about our God is that we can follow 1 John 1:9.....confess and repent and be forgiven. That means we can get back up and keep going. We don't have to be stuck in our sin and shame. We can get back to what we need to do for Jesus without guilt. This is not a green light to do what we want when we want......it's a way of restoring fellowship with our God despite ourselves.
God knows we will fall and slip. He has made a way for us to be restored to Himself through Jesus and the cross. He died for us to be forgiven. So each time we give in to our temptations we have a way out from under it. We don't have to be stuck in our shame and misery of sin. Let Jesus love.....let him heal.....he will if we ask. ☺️
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