Temptations
It's easy to identify and talk about temptation when we're talking about that three layer chocolate cake at Cafe Latte that seems to call out from the case everytime I eat there. Or the temptation I have whenever I exercise to run on the treadmill for ten minutes and quit, calling it a "full" workout.
It's harder to admit to oneself and even harder to share with others the deeper temptations that we face. Sarah says we have a tendency to make ourselves like God - "minigods". One thing we struggle with is our desire for control. I have a special antidote to manage my desire for order. No matter how much planning I put into a children's sermon, I have no control over what will happen in front of hundreds of people each Sunday. I might ask a question and get no response at all. I might ask a question about God's love and get a response of, "My kitty died yesterday and I have to go to the bathroom." I'm reminded each and every Sunday that I have limited control over what will happen, that chaos is just part of life (and it can be a wonderful part of life!), so I may as well embrace it instead of trying to reign it in! God is infinite, I am not. In what other ways do we tend to try and make ourselves like God?
Melanie
It's harder to admit to oneself and even harder to share with others the deeper temptations that we face. Sarah says we have a tendency to make ourselves like God - "minigods". One thing we struggle with is our desire for control. I have a special antidote to manage my desire for order. No matter how much planning I put into a children's sermon, I have no control over what will happen in front of hundreds of people each Sunday. I might ask a question and get no response at all. I might ask a question about God's love and get a response of, "My kitty died yesterday and I have to go to the bathroom." I'm reminded each and every Sunday that I have limited control over what will happen, that chaos is just part of life (and it can be a wonderful part of life!), so I may as well embrace it instead of trying to reign it in! God is infinite, I am not. In what other ways do we tend to try and make ourselves like God?
Melanie
posted by Melanie at 12:44 PM
1 Comments:
I foolishly try to be perfect when doing a task. This is a temptation which isn't very wise, but I still try. It seems the more I attempt to improve on a task the more mistakes or mishaps I experience. God is probably telling me to relax, do the best you can and don't fret over it. I need to carefully listen to God's message.
It is also tempting to want a program to run smoothly. Yesterday in less than an hour before the tutoring program, two teachers called that due to emergencies they were unable to come to teach. The program adjusted to the problem and carried on with a last minute substitute(me). With responsibility comes flexibility and I should not be tempted to give up when circumstances are out of my control. Need to practice what Sarah's states -- listen for your temptations and hear what they ask.
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