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- Apr 25, 2006
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TEMPTATION (2)
''...Your life is shaped by your thoughts'' Proverbs 4:23
After reading yesterday's notes, it may have sounded like it's all cut and dried: recognise when you're tempted, ask for God's help and The Big Man will come through for you. Bish, bash, bosh: job's a good 'un! But we all know that beating temptation is nowhere near as simple as that. Simply repeating, 'I won't go on those websites, I won't go on those websites!' just won't cut it. Before you know it, you're back in a pool of shame eating a big slice of regret.
So what do you do? Well the battleground is your mind. Trying to fight the thought of not doing something just feeds the idea until it grows so big, it's the only thing you can think of.
The answer? Replace your thoughts. Once your focus is on something good, the dross begins to lose its grip. Positively distract yourself, '...Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.' (Philippians 4:8 NLT) This is more than a nice verse in the Bible, it's the key to overcoming temptation.
The wisdom of Solomon states that 'Your life is shaped by your thoughts.' Mind management is massive for moving mountains. Yes, it might take time, practice and God's help but God's all about the impossible.
What now? What do you spend your free time doing? Allow God to highlight what changes He wants to make in your thought life, and what you can focus on instead.
written by Bob Gass
''...Your life is shaped by your thoughts'' Proverbs 4:23
After reading yesterday's notes, it may have sounded like it's all cut and dried: recognise when you're tempted, ask for God's help and The Big Man will come through for you. Bish, bash, bosh: job's a good 'un! But we all know that beating temptation is nowhere near as simple as that. Simply repeating, 'I won't go on those websites, I won't go on those websites!' just won't cut it. Before you know it, you're back in a pool of shame eating a big slice of regret.
So what do you do? Well the battleground is your mind. Trying to fight the thought of not doing something just feeds the idea until it grows so big, it's the only thing you can think of.
The answer? Replace your thoughts. Once your focus is on something good, the dross begins to lose its grip. Positively distract yourself, '...Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.' (Philippians 4:8 NLT) This is more than a nice verse in the Bible, it's the key to overcoming temptation.
The wisdom of Solomon states that 'Your life is shaped by your thoughts.' Mind management is massive for moving mountains. Yes, it might take time, practice and God's help but God's all about the impossible.
What now? What do you spend your free time doing? Allow God to highlight what changes He wants to make in your thought life, and what you can focus on instead.
written by Bob Gass
