Out of the Blue Temptation

I have been thinking this week about how moment-by-moment temptation can be. It seems like a person can be going through their day minding their own business, and then what seems like out of the blue something happens that can, if not responded to correctly, set an unintended trajectory for the next period of time.

For example, the evening at home is progressing peacefully. Something happens, and right in front of you is an unavoidable fork in the road. You must make a split second choice. React in anger, and the next period of time is filled with tension, frustration and conflict. React in kindness or even in silence, and the momentary tension melts away back into peace.

At that fork in the road, the temptation, which was not present a split second before, is talking. This split second, on-the-fly temptation could be, anger, lying, bitterness, gossip, jealousy, selfishness, lust, self-medicating with chemicals or alcohol - you name it. More often than not, it seems like our mind would describe the situation unfolding as “didn’t see that coming.”

There are, of course, situations of premeditated temptation that brew for a while, giving a person the chance to go forward or to back out of the situation. Often, though, it is not the no-one-is-going-to-be-home-or-know-so-I-think-I’ll-surf-the-net thoughts that start tempting someone. Instead, it is the picture, advertisement or spam that jumps out and puts a little ‘niggly’ in someone’s thoughts. It is the ad for something that I didn’t even know existed, but now that I know what it is, I have to have it … no matter what the cost!

This was not premeditated covetousness, materialism or greed. This was ‘where did that come from’ covetousness, materialism and greed. The advertisement plants a little ‘niggly’ in our ‘want’ organ and that itch has to be scratched!

The Apostle Peter said, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)

It is at those forks in the road that the enemy waits ready to pounce. Stay alert!