Are you guilty of temptation?

I'm going to take a little different, but practical spin on this weeks blog. Sometime this weekend, prepare a big bowl of your kid's favorite candy. Set it on the dining room table or the living room coffee table. Somewhere where they will see it all the time. Then show them the candy, but tell them that no matter what you do or say, they CANNOT eat the candy! They can't even touch it! A few minutes later, unwrap a peace of the candy and begin to eat it. Eat it slowly and make plenty of "Mmmmmm!" sounds! Sit right in front of them as their little mouths begin to water! Believe me, at this point, the only thing they are going to be thinking about is eating the candy! Their minds will be consumed with thoughts of eating the candy! They will smell it! Taste it! Hear it! "MUST HAVE CANDY!!" Is this a little sadistic? Well, maybe. But they'll get over it!

After you torture them for a while (choose the duration at your discretion!), go ahead and give them a piece and let them devour it. Watch your fingers! Then ask them if they were tempted to eat the candy, even though you told them they couldn't. Answers will vary, but will probably be similar to my 7 year old, "Ummmm, Hello? Yeah!" I don't know about you, but I think kids just might live their lives in a state of perpetual temptation. But is that such a bad thing? Is it "wrong" to be tempted? You'd be surprised how many kids think it is.

So, is it necessarily a sin to be tempted? Sounds like a simple question, but think about it for a second? How often have you beaten yourself up simply because you were tempted to do something that was wrong? Have you felt guilty and compelled to run to God because you need forgiveness because you felt tempted by something? I know I have! But think about it. Temptation is only considering sin, not giving into it, right?

This week in Good News Club, we talked about the fact that even Jesus was tempted to sin. In Matthew 4:1-11, we read that Jesus was "led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." After 40 days and nights of fasting in the wilderness, "He was hungry." I always laugh at that part! "He was hungry? No way!" I encourage you to read the rest of the passage, but basically Satan shows Jesus the proverbial "candy". There are two very important points in this passage. First, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted". There was a purpose behind Jesus being tempted. Could it be that God sometimes allows us to go through temptation in order to fulfill His will? A bigger picture kind of thing? Secondly, Jesus was tempted. We know that Jesus never sinned, right? (2 Corinthians 5:21) But the one thing that stands clear from this passage is that Jesus was in fact tempted.

I think it's important that kids understand that while temptation can be very difficult, it's not necessarily sin. When they endure tough times and face tough decisions, they need to know that they have a God that loves them and wants them to have the courage and strength to make it through temptations. He gives us all the power to avoid sin in our lives, we just have to trust Him. (1 Corinthians 10:13) And The best way they can do this is by understanding what God says about temptation and sin. By memorizing God's Word, kids will readily have the tools they need to stand against the many temptations that they will inevitably face in life.

Psalm 119:11 seems to sum up my thoughts as I finish up this blog. "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." You know, I am tempted to memorize that verse right now.

Do Over!

Do you remember playing neighborhood sports as a kid? Not organized leagues, but just that group of kids that all gathered together on Saturday morning and suddenly became all-stars! Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s, I got to experience the advent of youth soccer. It was just taking off in American suburbia and I jumped in feet first! In fact, I think my Mom still considers herself officially the first "soccer mom"! And as Saturdays became Game Day, I absolutely fell in love with this burgeoning sport. But despite the cool uniforms and the cheers of the crowds, I always loved playing neighborhood soccer best of all. There is just something about playing soccer with your buddies! No rules, no uniforms and no ref! You play a little harder, get a lot more sweaty (maybe even a little blood!), and most of all, have a lot more fun.

But the one thing I remember most was the amount of grace we allowed each other. And we granted that grace with the ever popular "Do Over"! Remember the "Do Over"? You kick the ball crooked, it goes out of bounds and you yell, "Do over!" You hit a foul ball, "Do over!" You slip while trying to tackle the wide receiver, "Do over!" It was the best, and one of the only rules we had in neighborhood sports! Of course, there was always that guy that objected to most "do overs", but he was usually over ruled by other teams mates that knew they would probably need a "do over" as well when they had the ball!

Well, I've been thinking a lot about "do overs" as we begin a New Year, and as a parent, teacher and minister, I am considering giving myself a "do over" to start the year off right. I know! It sound cliche, but it's really how I've been feeling. I guess it's just human nature to reflect over the last year and take inventory of how you've been doing. This week, I found myself listing the various things that I want to do better. A lot of things went through my mind, but my predominate thought was to be a better spiritual leader to my two boys. Don't get me wrong, I pray with them every morning and night, get them to church every Sunday, make sure they make midweek groups, etc. But I want to feel like I'm doing more than just going through the motions. I want to connect with them on a deeper spiritual level. I'm not sure what that might mean right now. Maybe sharing more spiritual insight with them. Maybe sharing some cool things that God is doing in my life. Maybe just listening to them a little more. Whatever it might be, I'm considering a "do over".

You may not feel like you need a "do over" in this area. You may take stock of 2009 and feel as if all the pieces have fallen into place perfectly. But let me just ask you to do one thing. Since we all are either parents, teachers or both, we spend a great amount of our time with kids. Unfortunately, they usually don't reflect on the past year as we do. In fact, they usually don't reflect much on the last week, or day for that matter! But what has 2009 looked like for the children in our lives? What obstacles have they faced? What victories have they been a part of? Where are they spiritually? Are there any milestones that mark their walks with God?

Give this some thought. Spend some time with God and reflect. And if you see some things that you might have been able to do a little better with the kiddos, then I officially make the call!

Do over!!