Overcoming Temptation

The Leadership Development Initiative is nine-month program focusing on inclusion and equity. The participants are senior level staff or board members of non-profit, for-profit and public organizations. One of the intended outcomes is “Individual leaders with the knowledge, skills and courage for influencing inclusion and equity, and a network of resources and support for those leaders.”

I remember the process as being exhausting. I attended with about twenty other participants from a variety of organizations. Without a doubt, I had some of the most difficult conversations of my life in that initiative. You may can imagine selecting an intentionally diverse group of two dozen people and having them discuss inclusion and equity challenges several times a month for nine months.

I learned a great deal through the experience. About people who are a lot like me and those who are not. One of the concepts that stuck with me is that we all bring something that is in our “ground” to the table of life. We don’t have time to get into all the details but to me, being in our “ground” generally means we have experiences, learnings, histories, and often hard-to-trace biases that are “just there”. It’s as if those things are in the ground and difficult to unearth for examination.

Difficult to fully understand, they are who we are.

The same can be said for who we are in Christ. You see, because we are human beings, we struggle daily with the influence of sin in our lives. Our bodies face temptations from every direction. Maybe we see something that looks good to us; however, partaking of it may not be best for us. It could be something as small as a sugar-laden food. One bite may not harm us, but a regular diet could make us sick or put our health in danger. Or, maybe it is something more threatening.

Could be we feel threatened by people who are different from us. Pick your difference—doesn’t matter. We’re often fearful or threatened because we don’t understand those differences. My experience is when I’m threatened, my emotions want either fight or flight. I immediately turn the other way or challenge the person, depending on the situation. Neither is helpful. My actions may not cause a huge disruption for me or the other person but if not addressed, I’ll never be the witness God wants me to be.

It can get worse.

What if we are attracted to someone not our spouse? Just thinking about it can lead to visualizations and actions. Even the hint of impropriety could kill the trust in a marriage. This may seem like something easily managed. I wouldn’t count on it. It’s not worth the risk.

There is hope for us all today. Being a believer in Christ doesn’t prevent these temptations; however, it is everything in overcoming them.

Overcoming Temptation #hope #joy #writingcommunity Share on X

Our bodies (think flesh, emotions, feelings) may want or do bad things one minute and swing over to grieving that decision and searching for ways to make amends the next. We may despise one person and turn around to lovingly serve another. But that is not who a believer is. A believer has died to sin and is a new person in Christ. In fact, Paul says we are no longer our old self, but Christ living in us.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who love, but Christ lives in me; and he life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, NASB)

We are free from the clutches of sin. Our spirit is one with God. It’s in our ground. We may not fully understand it, but it’s who we are. When temptations come our way our spirit, one with Christ living in us, knows we can beat it.

“No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I pray if you are not a believer, you ask Jesus Christ for forgiveness and turn from a life of sin and allow Him to be Lord of your life. If you are a believer, I pray you realize your oneness with Christ and live under His lordship so that you will be able to escape every temptation.

Today’s feature photo comes from a “photo-a-day” challenge I pursued several years ago. The photo inspires the topic. For me, the posts challenge my creativity, writing discipline, and dependence on God for His message. My prayer is that you find hope in God’s Word, and that you’ll share your hope with others.