Apples

This week my cousins are here. I have been enjoying my time immensely, and have learned some great things from all of them! On Thursday night, my cousin Johanna and I stayed up until 3 AM just talking about the things that we struggle with. If you know me very well, you will know that I am NOT a late night person! I can barely keep my eyes open past ten o’ clock, so staying up until three was a big deal for me (and yes, I paid for it dearly the next day…). Johanna thinks just like me in so many ways, we can almost finish each other’s sentences! We talked a lot about what is wrong with this world, how purity of mind is just as important as purity of body, but mostly about what we are tempted to do. We both agreed that when we are tempted, we feel dirty inside, regardless of whether we fell into the temptation or not. Johanna said that even though she usually resists temptation, it still leaves a mark on her heart. I agreed with her completely, and felt that finally someone understood how I felt when I was tempted!

Although we may feel dirty, being tempted is not a sin. Really. It is when we give into that temptation that it becomes a sin.

We have to get used to the idea that we are going to be tempted. Temptation entered into the world the moment Eve took a bite of the apple. Satan now has the power to tempt us with whatever he can use to make us stumble. He cannot make us actually fall, but he can place the stumbling blocks right in our paths to trip up our lives.

Although I wish it was not so, it is a part of my everyday life. I am tempted daily, sometimes more than once. I am tempted to cheat on my schoolwork, struggle with my parents, lash out in anger at my siblings, make up a story to be funny, compromise my standards to fit in, do a job sloppily, not live the life that God intends for me, and so much more. Although these are only some of the many temptations I face, these are the ones I struggle with often.

Everyone has different temptations, so I think it is a good idea to write them out. That way, when you feel that tug on your heart to give in to that temptation, you can resist! Find some scriptures that counteract your temptation so that you can use the Word of God which is sharper than a two-edged sword to battle it! It will not be easy to overcome.

The story of Adam and Eve has always been one that brought tears to my eyes. I have often felt angry at them for giving in to temptation, resulting in their banishment from the Garden of Eden. I have often wished that I could go back to that day and tell them to resist so that I can live in the luxury of the Garden where there is no pain or death. But God has a plan, and it will bring Him glory. The apple was instrumental in the time of Adam and Eve, and we could not have been warned against temptation in a better manner.

There are many apples in our lives, and we must learn to resist them with all our might. Remember: To be tempted is not a sin! Do not feel angry at yourself for being tempted. Just make sure you are resisting that apple with all your might, so that your actions will not lead to sin. Jesus was able to resist all temptations, so we can, too.