Temptations...A Tug of War

I MUST do what you ask....
    I must stop...
    Stop giving in...
    Stop making excuses...

You, Oh God, are all I that I need!  You give strength when I am weak.  1 Corinthians 10:13 says,  "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."  You will always give a way out; an exit.  I just have to take it.

Why do I feel that I am in a tug of war? I know what I need to do, yet I will give in to the very thing I know that I shouldn't do! I can relate to what Paul says in Romans 7:5-20 when he says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

During the day, I feel strong; can think clearly.  I know what I need to do.  Then comes the night.  The same routine; the same pattern.  In and of itself, it is not bad.  But because I feel that You have said to pause...I should.  I should obey.  I must obey. 

I Will stop.  I WILL pause.  I Will surrender.  Strengthen me, Lord!  I come to you as a broken vessel  who can't do ANYTHING apart from You!  I will trust and obey.  When I am weak, You will make me strong.  At night I will look to You!  I will lean on You!

Is there something that you feel that you need to pause or stop doing?  Maybe it is over spending, over eating, or binge watching Netflix.  Or maybe it is spending too much time on social media comparing yourself to all the filtered photos that are posted.  We all struggle with something.

An unknown source once wrote the following. 
Some people fall into temptation, but a great many make plans for disaster ahead of time. “Son,” ordered a father, “Don’t swim in that canal.” “OK, Dad,” he answered. But he came home carrying a wet bathing suit that evening. “Where have you been?” demanded the father. “Swimming in the canal,” answered the boy. “Didn’t I tell you not to swim there?” asked the father. “Yes, Sir,” answered the boy. “Why did you?” he asked. “Well, Dad,” he explained, “I had my bathing suit with me and I couldn’t resist the temptation.” “Why did you take your bathing suit with you?” he questioned. “So I’d be prepared to swim, in case I was tempted,” he replied. Too many of us expect to sin and excite sin. The remedy for such dangerous action is found in Romans 13:14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Whenever we play with temptation, it is easy to drift into great danger. A woman was bathing in the Gulf of Mexico. She was enjoying the comfort of relaxing on an inflated cushion that kept her afloat. When she realized that she had been swept about a half mile out from the beach, she began to scream, but no one heard her. A coast guard craft found her five miles from the place where she first entered the water. She did not see her danger until she was beyond her own strength and ability.

Too often I yield to the temptation with excuses. "It's not THAT bad."  "This will be the last time."  "It's not hurting anyone."  But when you have heard the still small voice of God whispering in your ear to stop doing something it is in our best interest to trust that.

I have chosen not to post what my particular struggle is so that you can insert your own.  I am happy to report that this past week, I have been able to stand strong almost everyday.  Bible verses are my ammunition to fight against the temptation.  It is a retraining of the mind of which I am committed to do!  As I lean on the Lord for His help, my relationship with Him will deepen.  And that is the very thing I desire.

I am a work in progress....