Into Our Bones

The Lord’s Prayer – Gethsamane

I’ve chosen to do something different with this Lord’s Prayer. Since Jesus taught us this prayer, I can imagine his teaching rose out of his personal relationship with the Father. I see this prayer unfolding in the way I think he might have prayed in the garden on the eve of his crucifixion.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.

My heavenly Father, to whom I yield my greatest praise, you indeed are holy. More than all, I desire to see your kingdom to come in full – and you know I want your will to be done – as hard and painful as it is for me in this place, on this night. If you could spare me this… yet my being craves one thing only – Your will. In this garden Lord, I confess my great need for the strength to face what is to come tomorrow. Forgive my enemies, Father – for they don’t even know what they are doing. I have pleaded that you spare me this trial, this testing, but again, I choose You. Deliver not only me, but the whole of creation from the evil one – whose being is set only on annihilation. I will do this which You have asked of me and so bring fully into your kingdom those you have given me. “I glorified you on earth, and now I pray that you would glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed. (John 17:4) May all that you have given to me receive the gift of eternal life. Amen.

The Passover Meal

“And then came words they had not heard before.

‘Take, eat; this is my Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’

They must have looked up, startled. What did he mean?

They must have looked at his body, and remembered how ceaselessly it had been spent and given in the toil of love ever since they had known him. How his body would be given for them on the cross, broken for his children at every Eucharist until the world’s end, they could not know yet, but as they took the bread that he gave them, and ate it in wonder and reverence, there must have been a confused prayer in their hearts that their bodies too might become bodies of love to live and die for him.”

Elizabeth Goudge, God So Loved the World

photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel

Confessional Prayer – Holy Week

Friends, as we approach Good Friday it’s appropriate that we take time to ask God to search our hearts, “to see if there is any offensive way in us, and to lead us in the way everlasting (Psa 139). May God grant us discernment, compunction, and contrition as we make our way to Calvary. What a tragic yet glorious phenomenon. We do not have to beat ourselves up, we don’t have to dissect our lives so that we might feel bad enough to think about Christ’s crucifixion. How can it be, that He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God? Today, tonight, as we sit quietly in His presence, may the Holy Spirit bring to our hearts those sins we long to lay down. I have been cranky, and judgmental, and angry when things did not go my way today. Those sins and so much more I long to be cleansed of. I long to see the “power of the Cross” work its way into my heart. As long as He is nailed to that cross – may our sins be thrown onto Him. Can we release to Him our shame? Our wounds? Our suffering? Of course, we know that He died once, once and for all – but may we, this day, take into our hearts the reality of His suffering and His death.

Begin by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that you do not need to hide anything from him. Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

Now let him begin the process of searching your heart. What is the Holy Spirit revealing to you? Is there anger in your heart? Bitterness? Unforgiveness? Pride? Take time to let the Spirit help you be specific about your sin. How have you not honored God this week? Know that “the grace of God prepares the way for the confession of sin” (Rutledge).

Then, simply confess in as specific a way you can the sins that trouble you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this. Keep before you the Cross and what Christ has done for you. You may want to hold a cross, or a crucifix in your hand as you confess.

Now choose to let this go and receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in his forgiveness ask him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in me a new and contrite heart that I, worthily lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Book of Common Prayer.

The Power of the Cross – Sovereign Grace Music

Holy Week Lectio Divina

Friends, there is so much to consider in Holy Week. It’s a dramatic week and the events pass by so quickly! I feel inclined to take our time this week to consider Good Friday (and then Resurrection Sunday) so I might not write about Maundy Thursday – the Passover meal Christ shared with the disciples and his vigil in Gethsemane. I’m very torn about this and might change my mind!

I’ve written about this before, but I want to put it before you again. Paul took all of what happened in the life of Christ and then of course in the disciples’ lives and made it theology. As I said before, he went even further than that. The Cross, the Resurrection, baptism, death and life became a language of sanctification – it became for us who follow Christ – a way of life. And it wasn’t just Paul. You see this in Peter and other writers of the epistles.

My sense is that it would be worth our time reading reflectively these passages I’m including that use that language, especially as we approach Good Friday. How was our old self crucified? How is it that in Christ we are now the righteousness of Christ? What is it about His crucifixion that made that a reality? What does it mean that our sins were nailed to the cross?

I think as well, it would be good to read all four Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. If you read them side by side, you’ll see the way each writer brought his own personal perspective to it. Spoiler – Luke’s account made me think of Christmas!

Lord, may Your Word go down deep in us. I’ve included a song called “Show Us Christ” which might be good to listen to before reading the Scriptures.

Rom 6:3-7 – ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For whoever has died is freed from sin. (NRS)

2Co 5:21- ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NRS)

Col 2: 13-14 – ¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you haven’t studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, how).

Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer.

Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

Lectio Quote

Friends, please forgive the length of the second quote! But what a quote. If you can, take some time this week and read this out loud. Have someone else read it to you. And let its truth sink deep into your soul as you prepare for Good Friday. (The first quote is also so very good!)

The Cross is the abyss of wonders, the center of desires, the school of virtues, the house of wisdom, the throne of love, the theatre of joys, and the place of sorrows; It is the root of happiness, and the gate of Heaven.
Thomas Traherne

Of all the things in Heaven and Earth it [the Cross] is the most peculiar. It is the most exalted of all objects. It is a sign lifted up for all nations, to it shall the Gentiles seek, His rest shall be glorious: the dispersed of Judah shall be gathered together to it, from the four corners of the earth. If Love be the weight of the Soul, and its object the center, all eyes and hearts may convert and turn unto this Object: cleave unto this center, and by it enter into rest. There we might see all nations assembled with their eyes and hearts upon it. There we may see God’s goodness, wisdom, and power: yea His mercy and anger displayed. There we may see man’s sin and infinite value. His hope and fear, his misery and happiness. There we might see the Rock of Ages, and the Joys of Heaven. There we may see a Man loving all the world, and a God dying for mankind. There we may see all types and ceremonies, figures, and prophecies. And all kingdoms adoring a criminal: An innocent criminal, yet the greatest in the world. There we may see the most distant things in Eternity united: all mysteries at once couched together and explained. The only reason why this Glorious Object is so publicly admired by Churches and Kingdoms, and so little thought of by particular men, is because it is truly the most glorious: It is the Rock of Comforts and the Fountain of Joys. It is the only supreme and sovereign spectacle in all Worlds. It is a Well of Life beneath in which we may see the face of Heaven above: and the only mirror, wherein all things appear in their proper colors: that is, sprinkled in the blood of our Lord and Savior. (Traherne)

Jubilation and Betrayal

I started this post thinking I was going to continue a conversation about suffering I started a week ago. It seemed especially right because yesterday was the 10^th anniversary of Zekey’s (my grandson) passing. Also, as someone who suffers with chronic migraines and other ailments, I thought I would share my thoughts about what suffering says about our God and how our suffering can be redemptive. But…

Today we turned our faces toward Jerusalem. Today, we are a part of the crowd who sang as Jesus rode by on a donkey. Today, we add our cloaks, and lay our branches down – to pay homage to a king.

This has been a difficult post to write – I am unsettled about this celebration. It seems naïve and thoughtless. It feels like cheering on the Detroit Lions – this is not going to end well.

In the jubilant cries of Hosanna – there is a plea – Hosanna is not just another hallelujah; it is the cry – Save us! As the crowds were laying down their cloaks and their branches – they were saying to the King of Kings- Be the king we need! Be the One who saves us! I think of those who were in the crowd – the ones who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, the ones who had heard and swarmed toward Bethany. The disciples were in that crowd. And of course, the Pharisees and the enemies of Jesus. A party unlike most parties. The Pharisees rebuked Jesus for the great noise that was being made by the crowd. They were singing and rejoicing over all the mighty works they had seen. But Jesus tells the religious leaders – “if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Lk 19:37). They even rebuked Jesus for the songs sung by children! (Mat. 21:16) Such joy! Joy that should not be silenced. In Luke’s account we hear the Christmas angels’ cry – “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

But… there’s a very real “but” here – because there is great irony, isn’t there? These joyful followers are not there at the end. At least as far as we know. Even his closest friends would be strangers by Friday. Is it any wonder that he wept as he drew near and saw the city?

In some traditions Palm Sunday moves quickly in the liturgy from the crowd’s celebration to the events that will happen over the next seven days. Palm Sunday becomes Passion Sunday – where Scriptures like Psalm 31 and Philippians 2 are read. It seems that our souls would do well to temper that joy with the realities to come. We of course have an advantage over the crowd in our Gospel narratives. We know what happens – our knowledge extends from the Incarnation all the way through to the Resurrection (and beyond of course). And we know just how fickle we will be and how fear will turn our hearts away from the beauty of our Lord – even the beauty of Good Friday.

The entry into the city is charged with irony, and it is about us as fully as it is about the people of ancient Jerusalem… Our faith, too, is fickle; we are the crucifiers of the One whose coming we have called ‘blessed.
Laurence Hull Stookey

These are the texts that are read as the liturgy moves toward the Passion narrative:

⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)

And from Psalm 31:9-12

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.

For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.

I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
   a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
   those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel.

This liturgy… “reminds us that at the moment of what seems to be the height of Jesus’ public acceptance also begins the process of His public betrayal, His public failure, His public abandonment. Only in the mind of God is Jesus any longer a success, it seems.” (The Liturgical Year)

This is what lies ahead on the road to Jerusalem. It quickly becomes the road to Calvary. It seems right to me that we do not forget what lies ahead. We can live in the tension between jubilation and fear. Because next Sunday after all our betrayal of Holy Week, that joy will return to us – and we will see Him, not as the King of Palm Sunday alone – but as the King who triumphed over death; who ushered in a kingdom like no other; a kingdom of the heart -and a kingdom opened up to all the world! Hosanna!

The Lenten Trail and the Lamb of God

If I could paint, I would paint a picture of the Lenten trail. I see in my mind’s eye – the lamb of God, holding high the flag of the cross, leading us on toward the summit of our Christian faith. Some of us are weary, some of us are innocent; some with eyes cast down, some with eyes lifted high; some acutely aware of what is to come, and some of us blissfully ignorant. We will falter on this trail, many of us like Peter, determined not to deny Christ, diligent to follow our Savior wherever he leads. But there comes that moment on the path – when for us the rooster crows, and we know we are undone. We reach the hill of Calvary looking for triumph but watch as the unspeakable speaks. – The cry of the crowd echoes in our broken hearts – “Come down! Save yourself!” “O Jesus, be the triumphant One, show your power!”

Yet didn’t we know it wasn’t going to be his strength that would save us? Didn’t we hear John say, “Behold the lamb of God?” Doesn’t Isaiah say – “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed?” (Isa 53:5 NAS) Who is this Jesus? This is God? How can this be? A suffering God?

Yet, we look around at each other – recognizing pain when we see it, because we know pain. We know suffering, some more than others. This is the company we keep – whether that pain is on us, or to us, or in us, we walk this trail with suffering kindred spirits. And so, is this not the God we need, one who knows our weaknesses but also knows our sin, yet never having sinned? I read somewhere that people are not saved through Jesus’ miracles, but through his wounds. All of it, our suffering, our wounds, our sin is gathered up into the indestructible love of God. And so, our Christ is a servant who suffered to the very end.

It’s night now – in fact it’s been dark for so long – We heard that last cry of his. It will probably stay with us until the day we die – that cry that mirrored our own – our fears of being forsaken, spoken by the Lamb who was slain for us. We know now why this had to be. We weep. But I think we know this is not final. If all the things he said about dying were true, then the other things must be true too. Could it be so? I don’t think our Lenten trail ends here. An old preacher once said, (actually he yelled it…) “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s a comin!” I leave you with another image of our journey – we’ve followed the Lamb, we’re weary and frightened and a little beat up. But there’s just something about what that old preacher said. And didn’t Jesus tell us this as well? Sigh, c’mon friends. We’ll do it together.

The Lord’s Prayer in Lent – Temptation

A word on temptation. In the New Testament we find the same word used in Greek for both temptation and testing in several passages, although there are other verses/passages that use a different word altogether. In the Lord’s Prayer, we find that what is translated as temptation could more likely mean “tested”. In fact, the New Revised Standard translation translates this verse as – “And do not bring us to the time of trial but rescue us from the evil one.” (Mat 6:13 NRS) (I like that!)

James 1:13 – ‘When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.’ This is the same word used in Matthew 6:13. But in John 6:5-6, the same Greek word is used as in both the Matthew and James passages, but it’s translated as test. – ⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”

Some scholars say the best way to translate it as either test or tempt is to look at the context. I’m not sure why the more recent translations of the Bible (like the NIV or the ESV) use the English word, temptation. One other thing to note here is that the NET Bible, like the NRS personifies evil – “deliver us from the evil one.” *

There is another passage which uses this word and it’s found in Matthew and Mark in the garden of Gethsemane. In Mark it reads: ³⁸ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mar 14:38 ESV) It is also interesting to note that Jesus, in one sense, is asking the Father to not test him in the trial to come (two verses just prior to this – v. 36 of Mark 14). But He says, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.

We pray to you, Father, as Your Son has instructed us to pray – You have called us your children and have given us the right to call you Abba. You, with the Son and the Spirit alone are holy. May we truly worship Your holy name. Abba, we pray, especially in times of temptation, that your kingdom would come, and that Your will alone would be done. Feed us with the rich sustenance of Your Word and Your presence and thus give us what we need to stand in the face of temptation. Do not bring us to the time of trial but deliver us from evil and keep far from us the snares of the evil one. We are eternally grateful for Your kingdom and Your power and Your glory! May You reign for all time!

* NRS – New Revised Standard, ESV-English Standard Version, NIV- New International Version, and NET – New English Translation.

Confessional Sin and Temptation

A word here about confessing sin. We know of course that we can simply bring our sins to Him, and He forgives us. Yet there is power in praying with others and confessing to God in the presence of another. There can be divine objectivity in having others pray with us. They might have a word, or a picture of what God is doing. Sometimes, just having another person witnessing our confession is healing in itself!

Now let him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there particular temptations that are really difficult to withstand? Have you given in to sin and now want to confess that?

Simply confess in as specific a way you can the sin. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.

Now choose to let this go and receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Receive His assurance of pardon – ⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹ He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. ¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psa 103:8-12 ESV)

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in his forgiveness ask him how to walk this out. Is God asking you to do anything in regard to your struggles with temptation? Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).

Lectio Divina – The Scriptures and Temptation

Hebrews 4:15-16 – ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (ESV).

Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

Lectio Quote

“Hence the importance of patience in the New Testament, which becomes the basic constituent of Christianity, more central even than humility: the power to wait, to persevere, to hold out, to endure to the end, not to transcend one’s own limitations, not to force issues by playing the hero or the titan, but to practice the virtue that lies beyond heroism, the meekness of the Lamb which is led”. Hans von Balthazar

You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly and ask the Spirit to give you insight on the place of perseverance and patience in dealing with temptation.

From Whence Does My Help Come

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save. (Collect from the Book of Common Prayer).

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Heb. 4:15 ESV)

This is holy ground. It’s holy because Christ is here. He is here to meet each one of us in any and all our temptations. I was struck as I sat down to write today’s post (which is the third in a series on temptation) that each and every one of us is so dear and precious to the Lord. I was drawn to simply pray and wait. I do have responses to the points about temptation that I wrote about yesterday, but I want to be very careful to not reduce our struggles to ‘fill in the blank” answers. We each have our own story, and we each have our own needs. More than 6 steps to freedom, we need the triune God to come and be with us, to listen and to show us the astonishing, outrageous love that was given for us at the Cross. This is our Lenten journey – to give all that we have and are to our beloved Jesus; to walk with him this path to Calvary – and beyond.

Yet there is wisdom in being practical, especially with our struggles with sin and temptations. It clears the mind and can strengthen our wills and affections.

From the list yesterday these are possible ways of helping us deal with temptation:

1. Temptation breeds in the indecisive will.

Be decisive. Settle the sin question. By that I mean, having wrestled with your conscience and through listening to God you know what sin lies on the other side of temptation. I really don’t like talking so much about my own struggles – but those that know me well know my problems in the car. It runs the gamut from simply being impatient with other drivers to yelling, throwing my hands up… I think I’ll stop there. Ugh. There are two things I know I must do about this problem. One – be clear on what the sin is when I act out my frustration. The second will come up a little later, but I know I am not going to fix this problem in the car. I tried pretending the person in front of me was someone I loved dearly, but that didn’t last long. I knew that my aggressive driving had nothing to do with what happened in the car. Please know friends, I am not trying to trivialize temptation or sin. This is a long standing challenge for me.

With that, we need to pray for the strengthening of our wills. We know, don’t we, that when our wills are weak, we will most likely not make good decisions. We need the supernatural work of the Spirit, not only in our minds or hearts, but especially in our wills. Pray this every day if you must.

2. Temptation relies on impulsivity. (Do it now, don’t think, just act).

Be prepared. Have a plan. In some ways, though, this is more than having a plan. This kind of impulsivity can often indicate a problem in our character. There are good spiritual practices that will help us here. Slow down on the Amazon purchases. Amazon knew what they were doing when they added the buy now swipe button. You don’t know about that? Well, you didn’t hear it from me! In other less fraught moments, practice delayed gratification. It will make a difference in the battle over your temptation.

3. Temptation calls us to numb anxieties and fears.

Be present. Know your heart. I have chronic migraines and often I know one is coming long before the actual pain starts. I’ve learned the triggers, and I’ve learned the signs. I think we can do that with our anxieties and fears. Learn our own personal triggers and signs. This is an area that requires much prayer and help. Do the hard soul work required here. It truly does help us in the grip of temptation to know what’s going on in our hearts.

4. Temptation thrives on procrastination.

This is my wheelhouse (look it up). This is one of the hardest challenges in my life. I am always starting my new plan next Monday, the day after my birthday… I would imagine most of us struggle with this. I’m not at all sure that the answer to this is simply to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and just do it. It would serve us well to understand what might be driving that procrastination. It could be depression, or trauma or simply a way to shut down. Make this an intention in your prayer life. Listen to God, others, and seek help.

I think there is great wisdom in simply being careful and intentional about our responsibilities. Procrastination aims at shutting the voices out that shame us. I think this temptation is so deceitful because we think we are only delaying the action. But in fact, we are running away from the demands placed on us either by ourselves or other people.

There’s wisdom in being careful. Deuteronomy talks about being careful to do what God commands over 23 times. Slow things down. Listen to what stands in the way. Be careful. I love this verse in particular.

⁴ You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.
Deuteronomy 13:4 (ESV)

You shall follow, fear, keep, obey, serve and hold fast to him!

5. Temptation counts on us isolating.

Hear this carefully. It is not just sin that isolates us (which of course it does) but the temptation itself. We might be so deeply ashamed of our temptations and feel that they have to be so much worse than anyone else’s. Christians shouldn’t struggle. Friends, this is exactly the place where we need each other. We need prayer partners, companions on this journey of life. Find someone who will help with accountability, and by that I mean someone you can call while in the midst of the temptation – not to judge you, but to stand with you before the Cross and be a witness to what God can do!

6. Temptation can trigger despair.

Even the temptation, which has not given birth to sin can trigger despair. This is so difficult, and so tragic. But, know friend, there is a way back to hope. Hold on, press in, practice His presence, call a friend. I will be writing about virtues that can help us on this journey soon, but one virtue that helps us here is fortitude. “It’s the virtue that allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles.” Hans von Balthazar writes this:

Finally friends, while it is very helpful to think about and act on some of these helpful suggestions, we know that our true and lasting help comes from above.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2

We will end here, with this quote,

When we are tempted and seek to know and love God, and like Moses long to see His glory, and out of that occupation of our minds have no further love for that previous temptation, we have experienced something of the reality of the very highest form of freedom from sin. It is one thing to love sin and to force ourselves to quit it; it is another thing to hate sin because love for God is so gripping that the sin no longer appeals. Jim Ellif