Temptation is Not From God!

James 1:14 “…but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”

          Oh, Lord!  “In our flesh resides no good thing.”, “The human heart is sick and desperately wicked, who can know it?”, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.”  There are so many verses in Your Word that tell us of our fallen condition.  We are certainly, by nature, wicked, selfish, lustful, greedy, and certainly depraved.  We almost do not even need to be tempted by Satan or his hordes!

          David, Solomon, and Samson of old immediately come to mind as well as prominent pastors and televangelists of our day.  They were drawn away by lust, greed, or both.

          Personally, my biggest fight has been with “self”.  In the past I have been manipulative in order to get my way about something…still struggle with it sometimes, but You help me recognize it right away now.  Thank You, Lord for that!  I think Christian women fight with this because of the nature of fall.  You tell us that we must submit to our husbands and to authority and we know that we should, but try to do it in a way that we get our own way ultimately.

          Another major desire we women fight with daily is the quest for youth and beauty in hopes of bringing more “worth” to ourselves.  We are bombarded each day by media and by other women telling us that this or that product can all but stop the aging process and make us more beautiful and sexy.  Fitness is important.  After all we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the world’s whole push is to make us more sexy, not so much more healthy.

          The world screams at us, men and women alike, to be discontent with what You have made us to look like, what You have given in goods and funds, and we listen, even as Christians!  Lord Help us!