Friday, June 19, 2009

Fighting Temptation

How do you fight temptation when you can't get away from it? There has been something that I have been struggling with the past few weeks and usually I would do everything I could to stay away from any form of temptation but with this I cannot. Day in and day out it is there. It's like a monkey on my back, but not a cute playful monkey. Oh no. This monkey hisses and has sharp little claws that dig into my back and neck. I spend time in prayer and read and read and read the Bible trying to get some perspective and relief. Most days are okay. I dodge the bullets and zig and zag around the land mines. Yesterday was not one of those days. Every step I took, no matter how careful I was trying to be, I hit a land mine. Everything seemed to trigger this temptation. What I saw, smelled, heard, felt, everything! On top of it all, the battle was waging in my mind. Part of me was trying to rationalize this temptation while the other part of me was screaming how very stupid that was. I wish I could get a break from this all. Honestly it is exhausting. Morning, noon and night this battle wages on. I felt so weary yesterday. I was tired of fighting. I still fought, but half-heartedly. Is this a thorn in my side that I will never get relief from? Will I continue to face this everyday? Will I ever get victory in this? The frustration mounts. This is when it would be really good to have an accountability partner. I have tried to have accountability partners in the past, but I have never found anyone that will be committed to the time and effort it takes. I don't even have a spouse that I can confide in and draw some support from. I do a weekly Bible study with a relative, but this is not something I could broach with her. We study specific things and though it is very good, we never go beyond the issue we are studying. She would not handle this kind of thing well. The words of the old hymn keep going through my mind; "O victory in Jesus/ my Savior forever/ He sought & bought me/ with His redeeming blood/He loved me ere I knew Him/And all my love is due Him/He plunged me to victory/ Beneath the cleansing flood!" So when do I get this victory? It is promised to me right? I will continue to fight, but my body, my mind, they grow weary. I need some encouragement. I need support.

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