Temptation...can you resist?

If you're single, Satan is after you.

I saw the above quote on an article I was reading and it made complete sense. It can also be to those who are not single. For any of us who have a desire in our heart Satan is after you. He wants to make us think that the desires of our heart will never come to pass.

We can be tempted to give up hope. Tempted to believe that God will not give us the desires of our heart. Being tempted is a normal thing. We are tempted daily whether its with a dessert when you're on a diet, tempted to take shortcuts at work and school. Tempted to give up believing.

Satan uses our desires to try and move us further away from God. He weasels his way into our thoughts to make us change our actions and feelings. Temptation is a normal thing for us but it's how we handle temptation and get away from it. That's how we grow as Christians. It's how we can become better people and children of God.

If you think of temptation, Jesus was tempted just as much as us. In Matthew 4 Jesus was tempted by Satan while he was in the wilderness. Satan wanted Jesus to prove that he was the Son of God. He tempted him with food because he was hungry. He tempted him to throw himself off the tallest building to see if the angels would save him. The final temptation was to show him all the kingdoms of the world.

Satan tried all he could to tempt Jesus into doing any of the above and to give into temptation. He learned quickly that we are not to test God. He tested him and we all have tests that make us think about our lives and what we could be tempted by.

Singleness is hard. I speak from experience. My temptations with singleness has to do with my thoughts. Satan uses my thoughts against me and wants me to believe that God will not provide the desires I've longed for.

What do you do if things don't turn out the way you planned? What if everything in your life is not what you planned? I get it. It's hard to think about not getting what you want or desire. We spend too much time being tempted to try different ways to meet people and different things that pull us away from God and our relationship with him.

We cannot let the concept of dread stop us from being in God's presence. Everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God. The people around us are God's gift to us. Take a look at those around you. Are they encouraging? Do they guide you through this season that you're in? I'm blessed in my own life to have so many amazing friends and family that encourage me when I'm down and help me look at the bigger picture.

It's not about what God is doing in your life, it's what He's doing in the lives of those around you. God gives us a gift. Our gift to Him is our relationship with Him. It's our servant attitude. It's how we handle this season that we are in. He uses us in our everyday lives to affect those around us. Have you thought of how you can be an influence to someone around you? Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

God desires a relationship with us. It's about choosing to work WITH God and letting God work IN us. This relationship gets out of control when we run our lives without direction and not letting God in the driver's seat. It's about giving over full control. Resisting temptation. It's not easy and it will never be easy. It's meant to be hard.

There's a song that I'm loving right now that doesn't get sung enough but I felt it was fitting. As we work on resisting temptation we need to give ourselves all to Jesus. I encourage you as you read the song lyrics below to really read them and let them resonate in your soul. (I will attach a copy of the audio version if you would rather hear it). Take some time to pray these words to Jesus and allow Him to work in you and through you to resist the temptation that comes your way.

Jesus, all for Jesus, All I am and have and ever hope to be. Jesus, all for Jesus, All I am and have and ever hope to be.

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans I surrender these into Your hands. All of my ambitions, hopes and plans I surrender these into Your hands.

For it’s only in Your will that I am free, For it’s only in Your will that I am free, Jesus, all for Jesus, All I am and have and ever hope to be.

#temptation #gracetobeloved