Devotional Time with God

I’ve often wondered, how many times have I ever been in control of my mind?  What have I been thinking?  Why do I think the way I do?  It’s often an instinct and purely involuntary.  It’s also not pretty.  With the images I see on TV, the words I hear on the radio, and the actions I observe on others, my mind can go wild.  The world is too quick to feed me with the wrong ideas.  People are just too eager to get into their vices, and bring others along with them.   The mind is the start of guilty pleasures.

A guilty pleasure is often used to described liking something that’s negative.  My example would be enjoying a bad movie, looking at dirty pictures, or listening to gossips.  All devoid of value.  This is the easiest way the devil gets to me.  With the Internet, where sinful materials become so much easier to obtain, it’s so easy to stumble this way.  When my mind is polluted, that’s when I do things wrong.

I need my mind to resolve conflicts, make decisions, get creative, and plan for the future.   I must guard myself against all evil thoughts.  I shall not let my guilty pleasures get the best out of me.

But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5:5-6

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Who could I ask to be a spiritual partner to help me defeat a persistent temptation by praying for me?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 216

My best friend is my wife. She prays for everything that involves the family. I’ve asked her to pray for my health, intercede for me, and keep me awake when I’m starting to fall asleep on the wheel (literally and figuratively). However, I do need another person to help pray for and disciple me, especially from a male perspective. I may ask one of the men in my small group (Jeff?). It is always helpful to have more people praying for my well being. I’m not trying to hog God’s blessings, but as God said, if two or more pray, He will be among us.

I love to have God’s presence in my life, all the time! When I focus on God’s will, there’s a way out of temptation.

What Christlike character quality can I develop by defeating the most common temptation I face?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 208

I am just like any other man out there, the temptation storm is always raging within me. I would be driving along the road, noticed people would do stupid things with their cars, and I would be tempted to get angry and curse. I would be browsing the internet, sometimes pornographic images would appear, and then tempted to look and thought about it. I would have some free time, and my first thought to do something useless and ignore the need to meditate on God’ s word.

God promises that if I let the Holy Spirit rule my thoughts and actions, I will receive an antidote for temptation.  I will see the results in my life, as it is written in Galatians 5:23-24 (NIV):

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I must take the opportunity to do good, instead of evil. I must not let the temptations lead me away from focusing on Jesus and His character.