#1. Pray it’s kept out of your way: One line in the famous ‘Lord’s prayer’, is: ‘…lead us not into temptation, but deliver me from evil…’ (Mt 6:13) Some temptation you will not be able to resist, and so you pray – always – that the Lord will lead you away from such pressure. You know – and therefore you pray – that some things just will not cross your path, your screen, your workplace, your work conference, your hotel, your text message… Jesus instructed us to ask this of the Lord, to pray that our steps will be led away from temptation. #2. Change your way: So what happens when you do encounter temptation? Well, if despite your honest discipline above, in asking God to steer you clear of this pressure, you do find yourself in vulnerable and tempting situations or moments – you turn and walk. You resist. If it is a physical place that is the problem, you leave that place. If it is a thought, you replace it decidedly with other thoughts and ‘words’ – often helped by reading the bible, locking on to a key verse, and repeating it over and over in your head until you fall into sweet and holy sleep. If it’s texts, stop. If it’s calls, drop ‘em. We are responsible, my friends, for our responses to temptation. Check out this key verse and ponder: ‘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.’ (1 Cor 10:13) We need God’s power and Spirit in our lives to resist temptation, and walk in forgiveness and freedom. Do you need a fresh start with God? For more information visit: FIRST STEPS at: https://1peter1three.weebly.com/first-steps.html
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I’m blessed to have a few Christian colleagues at work. We cross paths, and at times, discuss our faith, our calling, our mission. Yesterday I had one of those conversations with Jackie, and she said, ‘We need lights everywhere!’ Jackie was referring to Christians being ‘stationed’ here and there and everywhere in this dark world. Over the last few weeks I’ve had this ‘image’, this picture in my mind, of Christians as ‘lights’. One lamp or light in the middle of a dark field or street, changes the whole landscape of that place! One of the most impactful things about lights in the dark, is that they stop evil from happening. People tend to do dark deeds in the dark. You turn on a light, and behavior changes. People don’t want their bad behavior to be seen, so where there is light, less bad things happen. When there is a power outage in a city, for example, and street lights and shop lights and house lights go off – crime surges! Lights protect people and places. This is why a ‘lamp under a bowl’ is such a tragic loss. That area stays dark, people stay ‘lost’, and people get hurt. Ask the Lord today if you – a light of God – are situated where you need to be, and shining bright – as is your call and destiny. ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’ (Matthew 5:14-16) |
AuthorPeter Walker. I hope you enjoy these reflections. Please feel free to comment!:) Archives
February 2024
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