What's tempting you?

What has been tempting you?

Many of us start the New Year with resolutions to do this, or stop doing that. By the 3rd week of January we’re lucky if we remember what we resolved.

Lent often also has a resolution type of mentality for some people. Giving up chocolate, getting up early to exercise as a means of penitential time for reflection and whatever other rationale we give it…and like our New Year resolutions, we often fail to stick to the plan we set out on Ash Wednesday.

We’re 10 days into the season of Lent…what has been tempting you?

For some people the act of giving something up during Lent is an exercise to remind them of Jesus temptation by the devil after his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. Jesus was tempted by the devil to end his hunger by turning stones to bread, to test God by throwing himself down from the top of the temple, and with power and dominion in exchange for Jesus’ worship. (Matthew 4:1-11) Jesus’ denied the tempter and cast Satan away. And when He did, the devil left and the angels came and began to minister to Him. (v. 11).

Depending on what you set about to give up, or take on as the case may be, this week of delightfully unseasonably warm weather may have been helpful, or not. In either case, an early few days of 60 degree weather tempts us to forget that we are still in the season of winter. Yes, we are! Tomorrow is the first day of spring. Guess what the weather forecasters are saying? Snow!

You’ve been tempted into wearing those t-shirts and shorts. You’ve been tempted to put away those bulky winter coats. But Spring is not yet here! Even if the calendar marks the beginning of Spring, the weather report looks like winter still has a toe-hold.

Which just goes to show you that we can easily be tempted into thinking about things in the wrong way for today just because we’ve seen a glimpse of the ways we want things to be.

Lent calls us to reflect upon the way God wants us to be in relationship with Him each and every day…days when we screw up and days when we get it right, at times when we are desperate and lonely and times when we are joyous and reach out to others in love. He wants us ALL. When we give ALL of ourselves to Him, He will help us resist the tempter, and all his temptations.

He will give us strength for every day…not just the days of Lent.

What's tempting you?

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