Hebrews 4:15 says,
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as
we are—yet was without sin."
I have a weakness for dark chocolate; I have called myself a
chocoholic for good reason. If I never have the first bite, I’m okay but – oh my
goodness – if I do, I can do serious damage to anything chocolate in close
proximity. This, then, does serious damage to any self-restraint I have managed
to maintain. I always separated out the dark chocolate in those bags of Hershey’s
miniatures I bought at Christmas and hid them back for myself thinking I would
savor them over time. That never worked because, as I said, one bite and the
rest was history.
Recognizing my weakness was, indeed, a weakness, I knew I
had to circumvent opportunities to over indulge so years ago I made a deal with
myself. The ‘deal’ was that I was not allowed to buy a dark chocolate candy bar
unless I happen to run across one accidently. This is harder than you might think!
Back then dark chocolate was not as readily available as it is now. Most convenience
stores did not stock it, so any happenstance upon it was a delightful surprise.
The hard part was I quickly learned I needed an addendum to the condition…I
could not ‘find’ one at the same store twice. I could still go there, just no dark
chocolate.
The result of my chocolate restriction was that I still felt
treated every once in a while and cut my chances of over indulging down
dramatically. I took away opportunities and permission to indulge in an
unhealthy temptation. That was the key, reducing temptation on purpose. A
family member had a plaque on the kitchen wall which read, “I can resist
anything but temptation.” That stuck with me. By severely limiting opportunity
to indulge - temptation, I was also reducing opportunities to fail. That,
Friends, is a win-win deal.
All these years later, I can stare at a dark chocolate bar and
not flinch. I can walk past a bakery section and appreciate the aromas but not
purchase anything. I can (usually) pass up dessert. I believe God honored my self-discipline
and took away the strong desire and consequent indulging. Yes, I had to ask for
strength many, MANY times, especially in the beginning of my self-imposed limits.
There is a long history of diabetes in both sides of my family; my mother was
an insulin dependent diabetic for 33 years before dying from complications of
the disease. I knew the deadly consequences of my chocolate addiction. I made a
conscious choice, avoided temptations to which I was most vulnerable, asked for
His help in times of weakness and lived to tell about it.
This month I am turning 58. My mother died at 59. Even
though my body deals with some health issues, I am in fantastic shape
comparatively speaking. At 59, she looked 95, had been on dialysis for two and
a half year and lost most of her sight. I do have diabetes but I eat healthy
food and take care of myself.
God promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that He, "will
not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he
will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Temptation is always going to come. In fact, God uses trials to test us and
builds character (see James 1:2-4). God is not the tempter - the devil is the
tempter. But God allows Satan to tempt us in order to give us an opportunity to
stand. No matter what temptation comes to indulge in sin - God always gives us
a way to overcome it. We don't have to give in. Jesus understands our
weaknesses and faced the same temptations we do, yet He never gave in. It is
also possible for us not to give in.
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