Tempting

Now you can read the verse or passage I am talking about in my blogs by clicking on the passage reference to the left of the blog entry!

I decided to start reading the book of James in the New Testament. Right off the bat, James goes right to the heart. In James 1:2-4, he writes considering it joy when you encounter various kinds of trials. Ugh! For me, that is a hard pill to swallow. As I read this passage, and the corresponding notes for this passage at the bottom of the page, it seems that the word trials is closely associated with the word temptations. Ugh! Ugh!! If I substitute temptations for trials, it is an even harder pill to swallow!

I HATE temptations! And there are so many to choose from in today's world! We are constantly bombarded by things that can spark temptation for us! And doesn't it seem that we are all preconditioned to have a certain brands of temptation? You know, that one or several thing(s) that we are tempted by and sometimes succumb to over and over and over? It's like the movie Ground Hog Day for temptations. It's just a repetitious battle! For me, if you knew me personally, apparently it is men, or specifically, the type of men I am attracted to. I seem to fall for the same type of guy. There are differences, but in the end, it just seems I pick men who either can't commit, are afraid to commit, or aren't ready to commit. That is my temptation among others, and it seems that I will struggle with it until I finally resolve whatever issue is driving that temptation. Again, I say ugh!

People have all sorts of temptations or trials. It could be an addiction, a habit, an attitude, a behavior, or just a general disposition that is the problem. We all have that one (or several)thing(s) that we seem to gravitate to that we know isn't in our best interest. On top of that, whenever we mess up and give in to a temptation, that little voice in our head ridicules us to no end! Worst of all, if asked, we usually can't even explain the how's and why's! We just have a pattern that we reenact throughout our lives until we resolve the issue.

I think that is what James means by endurance. That is, endurance is the resolution of the issue that drives us to be tempted in some way. Think about it, when we as human beings have a pattern, especially one we are trying to break, we can really get down on ourselves when we mess up. We beat ourselves up. We beg God to forgive us, and we vow that we aren't going to do it again, and then BAM! We hit the wall again Take someone who is trying to quit smoking. When he/she breaks down and lights up, you would think that they just committed a homicide he/she is so guilt ridden! (I know, I have been there.) It's not until we figure out what is going on with us regarding our patterns and the issues behind them that we are able to start resisting. That is where we finally find endurance to keep ourselves out of those trials.

In James 1:4, James talks about letting endurance have it's perfect result so you can be perfect and complete. Translation: once you figure out your issues are and you use those resolutions to help you overcome temptation, you will start to be closer to perfect and more complete. Now we know we can never be perfect and complete as long as we are here on God's Green Earth in our human state. That just means that this temptation dilemma and finding resolutions to our issues is a life long process. I know...ugh!

There is hope though, in James 1:5-6, James explains to us that we can seek God's wisdom to help us with this process. There's only one catch...you have to ask in faith. Meaning, you have to believe God will give you the wisdom you need so that you can find resolution, and then endure.

So, I confess that I have some areas in my life that I need to figure out. I have been going to God, asking for His grace, mercy and wisdom, and reading His Word. I know this is a life-long process, but the results are promising, because in James 1:4, as we move forward in enduring, becoming perfected and complete, we will also lack nothing.