The bass I let go yesterday

[toad]

“God has a purpose behind every problem.” (Rick Warren)

If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too may fall into the same sin. But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT)

Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. (James 1:14 NLT)

The holiday season is always a hard time for those who are in recovery. When we hear the word recovery, most of us probably think of overcoming alcohol and drugs. The way I see it is that most people are in recovery of some sort or another, and this time of year is rough on all of us. There are those who are in recovery from the addictions of chemicals. Some are in recovery from physical and health problems. Some are recovering from mental and emotional situations. Some are recovering from the death and loss of someone close. Some are recovering from relationships that seemed to go different directions. Some are in recovery from eating disorders. Some are trying to recover financially. Some are trying to recover spiritually. If you’re not recovering from something, then praise be to God for peace, but my experience is that in life, we move from one situation to another. For myself the key has been not to let the person, place or thing, pull me too far off track. Yesterday I had a wonderful visit from my cousin Bradley and his son Ely. We went fishing in the afternoon. We are having some fantastic weather for late November, upper sixties. We did manage to catch a couple of bass, but it was slow because the water temperature was still cooler than the warmer months. Most of those old bass would not even budge for the lure. I found myself changing lures to try and find something that would work. Finally I put on a light colored grub with a rooster tail, and one and only one bass, was lured by his desire. I caught him and released him. Was the bass caught because the lure tempted him? No. He was caught because inside of that bass was the desires to either eat, or fight that lure. All the other bass just didn’t have the desire, probably because the cool water had made their bodies and brains sluggish. For myself I must realize that this holiday season the temptations will be out there. But what causes the problems is not because they are there, but because of my own desires. God has made “a way out” with every temptation, so I run to Him, and God does for me what I could not do for myself……………..JRE

“Unfortunately, temptation is a permanent part of our sinful world and of human experience. The Bible says, “The temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Not only is temptation all around us; it is within us as well. “Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires” (James 1:14). Even if we could rid ourself of all external temptation, we would still have to live with the destructive desires within our old nature.
“Even Jesus Christ faced temptation, and yet he never sinned. Before he was tempted, he spent an extended period of time alone in the wilderness, and he went without food. We are usually tempted the most when we are lonely or hungry.”
Life Recovery Bible, page 1381

[cmc]

Thanks toad!

If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too may fall into the same sin.

This is the part that I sometimes need to see in a neon sign....because if my thinking is wrong and I begin to trust in my own strength...look out! It can become confusing especially when we are taught to be overcomers. I must remember that I can do no good thing apart from Him.
This thinking can occur perhaps in judging another: "I would never say or do that" or "My problem lies here not there."
If I live with the idea that although I have Christ, but still possess the fallen nature, I can become more aware of the trap/lure set before me. Then I can go to Him for that 'way of escape' that is promised. It is up to me not to have a false(prideful?) trust in my own ablility.

[sugarssweetpea]

Yes. I have noticed that every time I think negatively about someone or something they do, I am either faced with the same situation (and normally find myself acting the exact same way I judged them for), or I am placed in that person's path & given the chance to know them better. God is so good in gently teaching us.