Temptation

[elijah23]

Temptation can be very hard to resist. It is most helpful, I think, to be careful not to think sinful thoughts, because once we tempt ourselves, we probably will give in to that temptation, sooner or later.

 

[Gazelle]

Temptation can be very hard to resist. It is most helpful, I think, to be careful not to think sinful thoughts, because once we tempt ourselves, we probably will give in to that temptation, sooner or later.

I know what you mean and how you feel. However, Christ proved to us that we don't have to

give in to that temptation, sooner or later

. But you are right when you talk about THINKING about it. Monitoring our thoughts is a task that has huge benefits!

When we are young, hopefully our parents are good examples who model Christian lives. We do not fall to giving in because we obey their rules over our own desires. Once we are old, we have learned (often the hard way) what is worth trying and what just isn't worth giving in to. Often we can learn by watching others, our friends and family, who do give in to worldly ideas, and see where they end up, where the temptations take them.

We are all tempted. Christ showed that the sin in not in being tempted, but by giving in to it.



I think it's important to evaluate our thinking and how we talk to ourselves, for we decide that some things we say we are "tempted" to do are not really bad at all. (For instance, I'm "tempted" to have dessert. Having dessert is not sin in itself...)
Or "I'm tempted to call them right now and figure this out." How is that sin? Nope. Giving in to such is not really temptation.