Mar 11 - DAY 27 - Defeating Temptation

Day 27

Defeating Temptation

Run from anything that

gives you evil thoughts …

but stay closer to anything

that makes you want

to do right

2 Timothy 2:22 LB

Rick Warren does a good job of discussing how to defeat temptations. Therefore, I won’t!

What I want to talk about is what temptation has to do with discipleship – our third purpose, as Rick Warren describes it.

Discipleship is the process of spiritual growth. If you want a picture of it, it’s looking and acting more like Jesus.

Jesus was tempted. We are too. The temptations come from outside of us. And they come from inside of us. It’s part of being human.

Learning how to battle the daily occurrence temptations is spiritual growth. Like Jesus did in the wilderness, I can defeat temptations with the truth of scripture. To know the scriptures well enough in times of stress requires daily reading … and therefore, daily spiritual growth. That’s discipleship.

A disciple is not without trials and temptations. In fact, Jesus predicted a life of trials for those who followed him. (Of course, he predicted a life of bigger trials for those who didn’t follow him. But trials are part of life after the Fall.)

Discipleship, then, is the art of learning how to live fully in an imperfect world.

•      Like Jesus, a first help is knowing the Word. And growing in our knowledge of the Word is discipleship.
•      Like Jesus, a critical factor is our relationship with the Father. The way we foster that relationship is through prayer. And learning to pray is discipleship.
•      Jesus came to serve – not to be served. And the more we focus on God and others – another piece of discipleship – the less our own selfish desires can tempt us.
•      The list could be endless. But every time we strive to look more like Jesus – which is discipleship – we also fight temptation.

Therefore … today’s reading really isn’t about temptation. It’s about discipleship – the art of living most fully in this imperfect world!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants one of those

silly French caps

(because I want to look like

and be more of an artist)