Temptation

I don't remember exactly which chapter and verse we were reading with the teens at church that night. But the word "temptation" was in it. So I asked, "What's a temptation."

Only one kid raised his hand so I called on him. He stood up, shuffled his feet, swayed, snapped his fingers, and said, "It's a guy who dances like this while he's singing."

The others all agreed.

I'm not sure which surprised me more:

1. That he gave that answer.
2. That he and the others honestly agreed that it was the right answer.
3. That all the kids were so familiar with the singing group The Temptations.

Needless to say, we explored another meaning of the word temptation that night. Once we did, the passage seemed to make a little more sense to the kids.

That was good because understanding different kinds of temptations can help make sense of the root of our own motivations.

As a church we've pontificated on the classic sex/drugs/rock 'n roll types of temptations to the point that sometimes the church is viewed by the world as simply the group who is against those things. And yes, they can be quiet tempting.

We also talk about the temptations that impact our behavior when we're angry or mad or hungry. They're not as scandalous as the other temptations but are very real and are sometimes addressed.

But for me the real temptations that get me in trouble are the ones more subtle. See, it's tempting for me to only do the kinds of ministry that I know people will express gratitude for instead of all the things that need to be done that no one seems to appreciate. It's tempting for me to use the business of doing good works as an excuse to not take the time to delve deeper into my relationship with God. It's tempting for me to quickly make doable plans and try to get heaven's endorsement rather than go the through the discernment process and take faith risks to reveal and implement God's plans. It's tempting for me to say, "God answered my prayer" when He did what I wanted rather than looking for how He answered amid my not getting my way.

Though these types of temptations don't grab as high of ratings as the ones featured on daytime television talk shows, they are just as destructive because they have the same root. That root is a self-centeredness that warps the words of Jesus when it cries out, "My kingdom come, my will be done on earth as it is in my heaven."

When I get to facing those temptations that are complicated, personal, and not likely to end up getting me arrested or fired, I usually prefer to shuffle my feet, sway, and snap my fingers in hopes that they will all just go away. And the culture around me seems to agree that this is the right answer.

But I have a God who loves me. I've asked Him to take over my life, and not just the parts that grab the headlines but the fine print, too. Knowing that, then, my prayer this day can be,

Suffer us not to be lead into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.