Temptations (Muffins)

Where do our temptations come from?

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. - Matthew 4:1-11

You've decided it is time to lose some weight.

You start out well, avoiding treats and snacks, cutting back on just about everything, but as you head to the Keurig at the office, the lonely corn muffin seems to have its eyes on you.

It has been sitting there all morning with no takers, and now it wants you.

Is that the devil's work, or something else?

You remind yourself that Jesus fasted for forty days, and you have been without food for only forty minutes, but for some reason, the mind, the will, or the stomach are finding rationalization for ignoring your desire to steer clear of the temptation.

There are many opportunities to succumb to temptations during the day.  Whenever we have set out to do something, we encounter obstacles, what Jesus calls stumbling blocks.

You have to study for a test, but there is a great program on Netflix you have been dying to watch.

You would think that these days it would be easier to avoid temptations like that because everything is streamed or recorded.  So, you can watch it later or tomorrow or next Tuesday, when the test isn't looming.

But for some reason, we are drawn to temptation like moths to the flame.

We want the challenge, either to claim victory and be satisfied with ourselves that we didn't give in, or to acquiesce and beat ourselves up.

Either way, we get what we want.

So, maybe the devil has little or nothing to do with it.  The lesson may just be one of will power.

Jesus only had to say no to bread.  If it had been a corn muffin...

More to come...