I want to encourage someone reading this to not fall to the pressures of life. I remember when I was younger there was always something there to tempt you. It seemed if you didn't curse or smoke weed, you weren’t cool. You were a punk if you weren’t having sex at a young age. If the crew was drinking, you better do it too. So many of these tests failed all in order to fit in the world’s scheme or not be ridiculed. We often let the thought of being right in the sight of God and different than society go out of our minds. You just wanted to be accepted. So many of my peers came from strong God fearing families but fell to the temptations placed before them. Many suffered and still do with drug addiction, spent time in the Pen, or contracted some awful disease. All in order to be accepted by the world. It’s like being accepted by God isn’t good enough. I have some pretty gifted kids. Along with trying to make sure that they don’t get caught up in that stuff, I counsel them on finding pride in doing the right thing. Years ago, we were at a basketball tournament and between the games that had a counseling session for the kids. They asked for every kid who had a 4.0 GPA to stand up. My daughter Alicia stood up with a very small group of kids. The thing that I noticed is she seemed to be embarrassed because she wasn’t a part of the majority. She didn’t find pride in the fact that she was an exceptional student. I had to counsel her on that. My little one is a pretty good basketball player and she normally plays with older kids. She has been picked on because she has gotten more time on the court or sometimes because she may score more points than others. Kids will tell her that she is being favored or try to point out her flaws on the court. She then feels the need to defend herself. I told her that she owes no one any explanation for being a good player. They aren’t in the gym with me sweating and working like she and her siblings do. This is something that I have had to deal with all of my kids on. Now, I had to counsel my son to not want to punch folks in the face when they acted that way. I just tell them to work on being right in the eyes of God. Not fall to the temptations that the situations may bring because the results of falling are painful. To the one reading this, you have been doing your best to do it right in the eyes of God. Others try to discourage you by either talking about you or trying to tempt you to get out of character. This is nothing new, so don’t worry or fret. Just keep doing it right!
When Christ came off of a 40 day fast, the devil was the first one to greet him, looking for a vulnerable moment. He made more than one attempt to trip Jesus up. Tried to go at the physical first, then he tried to get Jesus to use his power for personal gain. He next attempted to offer material gain in exchange for the devotion of Jesus. He offered Jesus the world in exchange for his worship. Jesus didn’t fall to temptation and because of that, the devil left and angels came to minister to him and his needs.
God will continue to favor you, meet and exceed your needs if you would just refuse to yield to the temptations. Desire to be right! Even when they try to make you wrong.
Read Matthew 4: 1-11 and stay the course. Don’t fall for it!
When Christ came off of a 40 day fast, the devil was the first one to greet him, looking for a vulnerable moment. He made more than one attempt to trip Jesus up. Tried to go at the physical first, then he tried to get Jesus to use his power for personal gain. He next attempted to offer material gain in exchange for the devotion of Jesus. He offered Jesus the world in exchange for his worship. Jesus didn’t fall to temptation and because of that, the devil left and angels came to minister to him and his needs.
God will continue to favor you, meet and exceed your needs if you would just refuse to yield to the temptations. Desire to be right! Even when they try to make you wrong.
Read Matthew 4: 1-11 and stay the course. Don’t fall for it!