There’s an old tale about a boy whose mother was looking for him. Willy, where are you? she calls. In the pantry, comes the muffled reply. What are you doing in there? she asks.
Willy answers, Fighting temptation.
Every sin begins with temptation. The more we can avoid temptation, the more sin we can steer clear of.
You may consider yourself immune to obvious wrong-doing like robbing a bank, or cheating on your spouse, or selling drugs – yet you can still be dangerously oblivious to your weaknesses.
It’s the subtle temptations that can sneak up and blindside you.
The enemy knows your tendencies better than you do. He studies you intently every day. His objective is to take you out, and he will use the most effective bait he can to lure you away from God.
So what’s your “pantry?” What mental places, physical locations, or activities lure you toward sin?
Jabez prayed, “Oh, that you would keep me from evil” (I Chronicles 4:10). Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13).”
In The Prayer of Jabez, Dr Bruce Wilkinson suggests that we ask God to help us understand our personal temptations and so become aware of our own weaknesses. Darlene Wilkinson expounds on this principle in The Prayer of Jabez for Women.
“It seems relatively easy to come up with categories of temptation that men deal with, particularly sexual sin. But what kind of unique temptations do women most often struggle with?” she asks.
So I asked God to reveal what strategies the enemy uses to pull my affections away from Christ and toward sin. At first, it was hard to think of things. Then, as clarity came, it was painful.
Now, having used this tool for several months, I feel empowered.
My list currently has over thirty specific items on it, and it is still growing. Many of my temptations have to do with my thought life, attitudes, and treatment of others. Here are a few areas of temptation for me:
- Controlling situations when others seem incompetent
- Doing tomorrow’s work today
- Mentally rehearsing past wounds
- Making negative forecasts about my days
- Putting tasks ahead of relationships
- Thinking more highly of myself than I ought
Perhaps you can relate to some of these. Or maybe for you, it’s compulsive shopping, or over-eating, or yelling at your kids.
Become aware, to avoid the snare.
When you figure out what kind of bait the enemy dangles in front of you, you can take your thoughts captive. You can avoid certain places or situations. You can pray specifically for help in these areas, and God will give you an escape plan.
Once you know where the pantry is, you can avoid needless trouble.
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