Resisting Temptation

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      How do you really resist temptation?  What are some ways you can get out of a bad situation or avoid becoming involved in something that you really don't want to be doing in the first place?  Read on to find some helpful tips and hints so that you'll be ready the next time you face temptation:

     How do you really resist temptation?  The first part is easy - you have to want to.  Temptation will always defeat you if you really don't want to resist it in the first place.  If you really think nothing is wrong with over-drinking, indulging in drugs or having sex before marriage, then you won't stop.  So, check your attitude - do you really want to resist or are you happy with your life just the way it is?  Okay - ready to resist?  Here's what you do:

1.  Identify Things That Tempt You.

     What makes you want to drink?  What happens right before you light up, have sex, lie, steal or whatever?  Do you feel pressured? Are you at home or out with your friends?  Do you feel lonely?  For all those feelings, you must get to the bottom of what's really bothering you.  Stealing or lying won't make the pain or the problems go away.  Acting up, cussing people out or being rebellious to your parents won't make you feel less lonely.  Find out what's really bugging you and deal with those things first.  And, if being in a certain environment seems to be causing you to act up, avoid those environments if at all possible.  Take a different route home from school.  Go upstairs instead of hanging out in the den.  Do whatever it takes to leave that thing or situation alone!

2.  Make Some New Friends.

     Your friends are probably okay, but we all know that if everybody else is doing it, more than likely we are doing it too.  You don't even realize sometimes how much your friends influence you - you just automatically do it.  Like, if all your girls have a boyfriend, you probably feel like you need to have one, too.  Or, if all your boys are skipping school, then you probably do it too.  So, make some new friends.  That doesn't mean you have to stop hanging out with your old friends, but we all need new people to come into our lives every now and then.  Why?  Because meeting new people helps us to think new thoughts, do new things and go places we might not normally go.  Needless to say, try to make sure you have at least one friend who is pretty serious about his or her relationship with God - even if you don't agree with him or her.  It helps to have somebody around who is sure of what they believe when you are down in the dumps.  Trust me on this one.  So find some new people to add to your life.

3.  Change Your Environment.

     Get away from those places that cause you to sin.  The bible says we should 'flee from sexual immorality' (1 Cor 6:18 NIV).  I always thought that scripture was interesting because it basically says we should run away from sexual sin!  Flee, it says, because God takes it just that seriously.  So get away from those things or places that cause you to sin.  Avoid them and if you find yourself near them, run!  For real.

4. Get Busy!

     What do you like to do?  Do you play sports?  Are you interested in acting or in plays?  Do you like to read, write or draw? Get busy doing those things!  Find a program at school, at your local recreation center or just set up somewhere in your room to do what you like to do.  Can't think of anything?  Then try a few things until you find something you like.  Remember - God put you on this earth for a reason, even if you don't know what it is.  You absolutely, positively have something inside of you that is dying to get out.  Just make sure you find out what it is.  As a bonus, you will find that becoming busy doing something you are good at makes it a lot easier to resist temptation because you are too busy to be getting involved in some mess!  And it's much more fun to be doing something positive than doing something negative.  So, find what you like to do and start doing it today!

5.  Pray

     Pray.  Part of the Lord's prayer is 'lead us not into temptation'.  Pray that God helps you to avoid temptation.  Just remember - you will be tempted.  We all are. But you can feel okay about that because, just as we are all tempted, it is never with anything that is more than we can handle.  The bible says in 1 Cor 10:13 'No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.'  That means there will always be a way out.  And there always is a way out - we just don't always take it.  So pray that God will help you, and that He gives you the strength to take the way out because ultimately you can't do it without Him anyway.

     Resist temptation by identifying things that tempt you, making some new friends, changing your environment, getting busy and praying.  You really, really can do it - with God's help, of course.  And you will be a better person for it.

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