Thursday, December 4, 2014

December 4: "It's Easier to Stay Out Than Get Out"



December 4: 

Genesis 3:8-15  Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"  He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."  And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"  The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."  Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."  So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

The title is a quote by Mark Twain regarding temptation. According to the dictionary, a temptation is a “desire, urge, itch, impulse, or inclination to do something, particularly something unwise or wrong.” Since we are humans, all of our impulses and inclinations are of, about, and for the benefit of self.  Likewise, since temptations are impulses and inclinations – seemingly instinctual and visceral, how can they then be classified as wrong?

From the moment we take our first breath, our self-involved nature is evident.  As babies, we cry when we are wet, cold, hungry, and/or bored.  We want and demand that our needs and desires be addressed first.  That’s not to say that these aren’t appropriate reactions for babies. Without them, babies would surely die. 

However, as we age, it is expected that we humans become less self-centered and more others-oriented.  Parents and teachers demonstrate and reinforce the mores and expectations regarding social interaction, many of which address the concept of putting others before self. Religious dogma aside, these attitudes and practices are necessities; humans need to work together in order to survive and thrive.

For believers, dying to self is a non-negotiable option. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20) 

As Oswald Chambers writes, “I am called to live in perfect relationship to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration of myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God.”

In John 3:30, it says, “He must increase [which means that] I must decrease.” If we allow our selfish desires, thoughts, and aspirations to persist, self totally eclipses God. Only one persona can exist and call the shots, and God has made it crystal clear which persona that must be. 

Therefore, temptation is just that because we are allowing our selfish natures and desires to pull ahead of our relationship with God. This was definitely true of both Adam and Eve. Their desires to become more like God superseded their relationships with Him.  The result of their choices was a heavy consequence – a penalty that ended in death for mankind.  Not only did that penalty demand the physical death of mankind; it also represented the death or dissolution of the intimate relationship that had previously existed between Adam and Eve and God. 

Fortunately, the God we serve is a God of second (and third and fourth and. .) chances, so He provided a Way for mankind to be reconciled with Himself. First, He sent His only Son, as an infant, to show mankind the way to live. Secondly, He died for the sin of the world so that we would be able to be spent eternity with God, and third, He sent His Holy Spirit as an intimate Friend/Advisor until He returns.

Like us, Christ started as an infant, survived childhood, endured adolescence, and matured into an adult. As he passed through the various stages of life, He modeled how mankind should age, mature and grow.  

As part of that process, He, too, was tempted.  Because He was/is infallible, the temptations were a lesson in futility; there was no way He was getting sucked into that game. As usual, He allowed Himself to be tempted so that He could show us what do when WE were faced with temptation.  Even when He left the Earth, He made sure that we were/are prepared for every contingency.

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure” (I Corinthians 10:13). 

When it comes to temptation, the choice is completely ours.  We choose selfishness, or we choose Godliness. We choose stay firm in Christ, or we choose to fall.  There is only one or the other, never both.  

“Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23).

Even when we fail, God’s faithfulness continues.  Forgiveness is available, as is an opportunity to begin anew.  If we aren’t already, we should be humbled by God’s generosity. Still to this day, He is modeling the blessings and benefits of a selfless nature. We have been given more gifts than we deserve. It’s truly Christmas every day.

Challenge: Eat a meal with someone new.  Wherever you are, you may have a specific group of people whom you enjoy hanging out with at lunch, between classes, after school, or on the weekends.  Whom can you invite to join you?

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