{"id":2709,"date":"2015-03-22T09:00:01","date_gmt":"2015-03-22T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=2709"},"modified":"2015-03-29T16:03:00","modified_gmt":"2015-03-29T21:03:00","slug":"choose-to-avoid-tempation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=2709","title":{"rendered":"Choose to Avoid Temptation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Avoid-Temptation.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2715\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Avoid-Temptation-300x119.jpg\" alt=\"Avoid Temptation\" width=\"300\" height=\"119\" srcset=\"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Avoid-Temptation-300x119.jpg 300w, https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Avoid-Temptation.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Years ago I heard a story about a wealthy woman who advertised for a new driver. She asked the three applicants this question: \u201cHow close to a cliff could you drive?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first man said he could drive within an inch of the edge of the cliff. The second made the same claim. The third said, \u201cI really couldn\u2019t tell you because I try to keep as far away from danger as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>How would you answer her question? Whom do you think she hired?<\/p>\n<p>There is a lesson in this story for all of us. Let\u2019s say the edge of the cliff is temptation. Do we risk getting as close to the edge as possible without thinking of the possibility of falling off? Or do we stay away from danger?<\/p>\n<p>We all have weaknesses. If we know what our weaknesses are, perhaps we should avoid putting ourselves in situations where we would be tempted to succumb to them. For example:<a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/I-generally-avoid-temptation-unless-I-cant-resist-it....jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2712\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/I-generally-avoid-temptation-unless-I-cant-resist-it...-300x218.jpg\" alt=\"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it...\" width=\"300\" height=\"218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/I-generally-avoid-temptation-unless-I-cant-resist-it...-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/I-generally-avoid-temptation-unless-I-cant-resist-it....jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If we are tempted to overeat, we should probably stay away from Hometown Buffet.<\/li>\n<li>If we are alcoholics, we should probably stay away from bars.<\/li>\n<li>If we are drug addicts, we should probably stay away from drug addicts.<\/li>\n<li>If we are shopaholics, we should probably cut up our credit cards and stay away from Macy\u2019s.<\/li>\n<li>If we have a gambling problem, we should stay away from Vegas.<\/li>\n<li>If we are depressed, we should stay away from negative people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Speaking of negative people, remember that who we hang around with makes a difference. We want people in our lives supporting our decision to stay away from temptation, not adding to our problems. \u201cBad company corrupts good character.\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT)<\/p>\n<p>Consider this&#8230; Temptations will always be around. After all, even Jesus was tempted by the devil. In fact Hebrew 4:15 says, \u201cFor we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are \u2013 yet he did not sin.\u201d So Jesus knows what we are going through.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s culture is particularly ripe with enticements and each day we face a myriad of opportunities to do what in our hearts we know is wrong. However, how many of us when given a choice purposefully come as close to the edge of temptation as possible thinking we won\u2019t fall off?<\/p>\n<p>Remember that it is easier to avoid temptation than overcome it. In speaking of paths of the wicked the Bible says: \u201cAvoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.\u201d (Proverbs 4:15) I think the same would apply to temptation. In other words, stay as far away from danger as you can!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-10.13.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2714\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-10.13-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"1 Corinthians 10.13\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-10.13-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-10.13-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-Corinthians-10.13.jpg 738w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><strong>Suggestions for practicing this choice\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Stay close to God through prayer and Bible study.<\/li>\n<li>Pray about specific weakness and\/or temptations and then look up what the Bible says about it. For example, if you are prone to lose your temper then not only pray about it but do a Bible study on anger.<\/li>\n<li>If you are tempted then flee temptation. (1 Corinthians 6:18) Think, \u201cRun, Forest, Run!\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Remember that God won\u2019t allow you to be tempted above what you are able to handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Of course, as one person said, \u201cI just wish God didn\u2019t have so much confidence in me.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Be careful not to invite temptation by going places where you know you will have problems resisting. When you are invited to such places learn to say, \u201cNo thank you. I have other plans.\u201d Such as your plan is not to go where you know you\u2019ll be tempted. Like the old joke says: A man tells the doctor, \u201cI broke my arm in two places.\u201d The doctor says, \u201cWell, you better stay out of those places!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Years ago I heard a story about a wealthy woman who advertised for a new driver. She asked the three applicants this question: \u201cHow close to a cliff could you drive?\u201d The first man said he could drive within an &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=2709\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2709"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2709\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}