Temptations that Click

We're currently in a series of messages at church entitled "The Enemy Within." Two weeks ago the message was about temptation. There is no one who doesn't face some kind of temptation in their life. We have the choice to cave in to the temptation or walk away.

"Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive. Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive.....Money, sex, in full control, a generation without soul, Perfect people in a perfect world, behind closed doors all in control, Life, in a world of luxury, cold cash money mentality, You gotta keep the faith, you gotta keep the faith, You better keep the faith and run away" Real McCoy


This past weekend I rented the movie called "CLICK" with Adam Sandler. I like comedies and thought this would be a fun and light hearted flick to watch. How wrong was I! The premise of the movie (my apologies to those who haven't see it) is that Sandler's character gets a TV remote control that allows him to pause, rewind and fast forward his life or things surrounding his life. As you can imagine, it gets out of control. He begins to fast forward past the things in life that he doesn't want to deal with. The temptation to continue to fast forward gets so intense as the movie goes on that he eventually ends up losing his wife and his life. However, there is a surprise ending I won't let you in on

The movie really made me think a lot about my life and who I am and some of the similarities between me and Sandler's character in the movie. Avoidance, especially when conflict may be the outcome, is one of the classic temptations that plagues me. How many things have I left unadressed in my life because of my temptation to avoid whatever it might be if there was the potential for disagreement. What does that mean when it comes to sticking up for what I believe? The more I pondered it, the more depressing it became.

What must God think of me when the temptation to avoid situations in my life consume me. How do I make him feel when I cave into other temptations that I should have walked away from


"Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive. Run away, run away, run away and save your life. Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive...." Real McCoy

This week I was reading Jonah 1 and once again God hit me where it hurts and spoke great truth into me. God told Jonah to go one way and Jonah ran in the opposite direction. More often than I want to admit, I choose my own desires over God's desires for me which always leads to regret. Just as Jonah did, I run in the opposite direction, not wanting to face the challenge that You has been placed before me.

"If you point your feet in this direction, you'll never end up over here..." Mark Beeson

God knows that temptation is going to overwhelm and overcome me and that I'll end up succumbing to it more than I want. That's why he sent Jesus. And just like a sponge, Jesus absorbs that which I am too weak to resist. Sin. And I'm forgiven.

God's response is summed up nicely in the lyrics from this Christina Aguilera song entitled "Hurt"

....I would hold you in my arms, I would take the pain away, thank you for all you've done
forgive all your mistakes, There's nothing I wouldn't do, To hear your voice again, Sometimes I want to call you but I know you won't be there


The last line is the killer though. "Sometimes I want to call you but I know you won't be there." It's then that I need Him the most. When I get entrapped by temptation, I only fulfill more temptation when I turn away from the One who can save me from it.

Run away, run away, run away if you want to survive.... Real McCoy

I do want to survive. I believe that, yes, there are indeed things that I need to run away from. But I also don't believe that God wants me to run into and face head on no matter the degree of difficulty. I need to find reassurance that He will guide me through.

Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you, Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do....Christina Aguilera