Today's Scripture - "All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41 AMP
Thoughts for Today - Are you immune to the temptation of sexual sin? The truth is, we all have boundaries that, if crossed, can result in the loss of self-control.
The sin of proximity happens when we allow ourselves to be enticed to sin by not avoiding events, people, places, objects or anything else that we know will likely stir up lustful thoughts in our minds. Some would describe the sin of proximity as allowing ourselves to come into contact with the occasion for sin.
When we commit a sin of proximity, what we are doing is setting the stage for overt sin to occur. We are prone to lie to ourselves that what we are doing will not have consequences. We think we can play around the edges of sin without actually acting it out. This thinking is self-deceptive because sin has great power and, if entertained, can overwhelm us.
Consider this… Avoiding the people or events or things that may tempt us to sexual sin is vital to overcoming sexual addiction or to avoid entering into any kind of sexual sin. We must remember, however, that there is no "formula for success" in this path—otherwise we would trust the formula and not God.
The rules are only tools to enable us to better love Jesus. The real key is to stay in fellowship with Him—to "give strict attention, be cautious and active ... and watch and pray."
Prayer - Father, I know that only as I stay in close fellowship with you—through prayer and through your Word—will I be able to resist the temptations that come my way. I thank you for your love. Please give me the wisdom and strength to avoid situations and relationships that may entice me to sin. In Jesus' name …
2 comments:
Somebody once told me that 99.9% of men struggle with this and the other 0.1% are lying. Granted, there are different levels, but Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-8 27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[a] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Ouch, no pressure!!!! I agree with the author about reading and praying and staying close, but I also think you need a strong accountability partner who is committed to you. The prayer was right on and I pray we all are strong and strong for each other.
cas
CAS, you're spot on! The way we struggle with the lust issue may be different for each of us be it walking around during the day, magazines, internet etc. I also agree that having at least one brother that you can walk through the challenge together with is critical to a successful walking with the Lord.
Post a Comment