You are currently browsing the daily Archive for August 19th, 2007.
On a daily basis we are lured by temptation. Tempted to say something we know we should not. Tempted to eat unhealthily. Tempted to lie around instead of be active. Tempted to be with someone simply for the thrill, rather than for any deeper purpose.
To make matters even worse, our culture seems to applaud and promote succumbing to temptation. Think about all the advertisements tempting us to buy a certain product so we’ll feel a certain way. All of the movies where a man is tempted and seduced by a beautiful woman. How often does he turn her down? And if, by some motion-picture miracle, he does look into her seductive eyes and say, “No, I have a family,” how often is this seen as a sign of strength?
As someone who in the past used to give in to temptation frequently, I do know this: I feel far more powerful and in control of my life every time I push temptations away.
It’s about SACRIFICE, and sacrificing something temporarily pleasurable for something more permanent and purposeful. Why not eat the two brownies, the donut, the bag of chips or the candy bar? Because you’re sacrificing that temporary taste for better overall health. Why not spend just one night with the girl from the bar? Because if you’re dating someone else or even married you’re sacrificing lust for love.
However, it seems that sacrificing anything of ourselves these days for the greater good is unpopular because we so rarely see it done. So instead, I create my own images of how I want to see the world and myself. I picture a man walking with his wife and children, his conscience clear because he knows that everything he has sacrificed has led to this point. And I picture him being healthy, his body clear of alcoholism, drugs, and fast food.
To put it simply: I want to continue SACRIFICING myself for something more meaningful and longer lasting, no matter what that might be. I want to continue to tame my temptations.
