Temptation! RUN!
I have been actively doing a class at our church called OSL, Operation Solid Lives. Lame name, I know, but it is one of the best classes I have done in a long time. Not only am I feeling loved by God, but am actively working more and more in His love and grace as I work towards filling his church with people who need to know about Jesus.
Today I read, along with 20 others, Luke 22. In this chapter Jesus breaks bread with his disciples, telling them that his blood and body are represented by the Passover bread and cup.
Luke continues to tell us the account of the disciples as they approach the mount of Olives. Jesus asks them:
Luke 22:40 "Pray that you will not fall into temptation"
Now Jesus was telling his disciples to not fall into the temptation of the flesh: SLEEP! But this message goes a lot further then just sleep.
The truth is that we all have temptations; we all are tempted by something. It lurks in the corner waiting for you to come near so that it can strike. All that temptation wants and needs is for you to walk close. Just get close and it will come out to you. It will draw itself out and try and seduce you into its snare. (Proverbs 7)
WOW, that's intense!
So when that temptation comes, don't keep going towards the seduction of flesh, but rather RUN from it! If the disciples had just stayed standing, if they had just changed their situation, they might have not fallen asleep as we saw they did.
It's so important that when we come to this place of temptation we don't just pray and keep walking towards temptation and into sin, but rather pray and RUN!!! RUN!!! Get out of that place so that you don't sin.
Maybe you struggle with anger and you are tempted to explode because of what another is doing? RUN AND PRAY!!
WHAT EVER IT IS, PRAY and then RUN!!! Change your situation, change your stance, work alongside Jesus, and let him work through you, by running and praying!
Prayer:
Jesus help me in my temptation. Help me not to be lead into temptation but out of temptation. Help me fight what draws me in and is trying to devour me. Holy Spirit, I welcome you to take off my chains of temptation. Holy Spirit, I welcome you to release me in the name of Jesus Christ!