The expression "you are what you eat" applies to more than just that pizza with extra cheese or the super-sized candy bar. We are shaped by more than calories -- our choices are just as formative. Which is why it's so important that we not step outside a healthy diet when it comes to our inner lives. Feeling discontented with our portion of the world's blessings turns us inward on ourselves; gnawing on the bones of our unhappiness keeps us from seeing the healthy feast that is set before us."The temptation to eat what we shouldn't eat, though, isn't anything new. As I said, even Adam and Eve faced it. And even though that forbidden fruit probably tasted delicious going down, don't forget they had to spend a lifetime working it off."
--Martha Bolton, When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Start Laughing (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 22.
This story made me think of a struggle that I had one week ago today. It served as the inspiration, the "creative spark" for my sermon on temptation yesterday. For those who missed it, or asked for a copy, here are my notes from yesterday.
Grace and Peace!
James
Monday
morning I had a good, but long meeting with other pastors at Lee Road UMC. I got in the car, and was hungry. At a
traffic light, I saw some chocolate left over from Sunday in the seat next to
me. (Did I mention that I have given sugar up for Lent?) I knew that I shouldn’t eat it, but it was as
if my “thinker” wasn’t fully engaged. I
was travelling down the road doing what I wanted rather than what I promised I
would do. Before I knew what happened, the chocolate jumped into my mouth and
forced me to chew and swallow – Okay, I wish that it had. I would have felt less guilty if I had not
broken my commitment without any outside interference.
Brad Ronnell Braxton, pastor of the Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore, contends that "most Christians pray a slightly expanded version of the Lord's Prayer. Instead of stopping with 'lead us not into temptation,' most of us add 'but at least let me flirt with it occasionally.' A woman may have a talent to sing so beautifully that it makes the angels in heaven rejoice, but she may also have some temptations she is wrestling with. A man may have a good church attendance record, he may come to church regularly and show up early enough to find “his” seat, but he may also have some temptations he is wrestling with. A couple may give to their church every second and fourth Sunday plus to other special offerings, but they also have some temptations they are wrestling with. Your temptation may not be my temptation, but if we are honest, we know that we are dealing with temptation in some area of our lives."--adapted from Brad Ronnell Braxton, "The Greatest Temptation," The African American Pulpit, 1 (Winter 1997-1998), 31-39.
This Lenten Season, we as churches are
travelling on a Journey to Hope. We are
trying to be faithful, but have discovered that we may find difficulties along
the way.
This week’s mile marker is temptation,
where we consider building up resistance to those things that interfere with following
Christ along the way. When we are worn-out spiritually,
emotionally or physically, where do we turn to refuel? Too often we
turn to quick remedies that numb the pain of what is actually happening. For
many, God is the last resort – after we have tried all sorts of other
painkillers. Those painkillers may be an extramarital affair, alcohol,
excessive work, pornography, or gambling. Any one of those things is enough to
make us stumble on our journey to hope.
I brought with me some of the things
that can tempt us to turn to them for comfort when we’re tired. For some it’s food – whether we prefer sweet or
salty. For others it might be drugs –
whether legal or illegal. It could be
something more innocent, like little rectangular pieces of plastic – Of course,
when they are used for shopping [i.e. credit cards], that may tempt some of us.
I am sure that I there are many other things that tempt us each and every day.
It’s when we are tired on the journey
that we are most susceptible to temptation. We may do something that will bring
momentary pleasure but long-term pain. How can we stay true to the path even when
we are tired, distracted or discouraged?
One of the best places to turn on our
Journey is to Jesus. In today’s
scripture (Mark 14:32-40) Jesus was at a point of tremendous pain, realizing
how close he was to the agony that lay ahead. It could all be avoided if he would just
leave town. He did not turn back. He did not run away.
Instead, Jesus takes his closest
friends with him and goes to the garden of Gethsemane. Often we focus our
attention on the disciples – that they kept giving into the temptation to
sleep. Let’s look at this in another way. Jesus, himself, was wrestling with
temptation. We know that he won
this battle, because he continued from this garden on the path that led to his
death. How is it that he managed to
resist temptation?
The answer is quite simple. He stayed
with his
closest friends in faith and committed himself to prayer. We
can see the importance of friends staying awake during a time of hardship –
even for Jesus! Christians are not meant to be in isolation from each other,
but we are meant to work together, to worship together, to serve
together. Not once, not twice, but three times, Jesus returns longing for the
disciples to stay with him and pray. If
Jesus needs the support of his friends in faith, then this shows the importance
of community and supporting one another in the Christian life.
But it wasn’t just “hanging out” with
his friends that got him through. He
wanted them to stay up with him and pray while he prayed. When we hear Jesus’
prayer, we know that he would turn away from his journey if there were any
other way. Why else would he pray, “take
this cup of suffering away from me?” We can hear his heartache as he
tells the disciples that he is sad – feels like he is dying. At the same time, he prays for God’s will to
be done. I believe that it was in his
time of talking with God that he found the answers and the strength that he
needed.
In fact, I brought something with me
today. I know that many people would
love to have the same access to God that Jesus did – to talk openly and freely
about anything. Well, I found God’s
phone number and here it is: 772-9377…To help those of you who might be
confused, I found the letters that you dial to talk with God…it just so happens
that when you dial PRA-YERS … you have direct, immediate, 24/7 access to God.
Prayer is a way of refueling –
connecting us with our source of life – the One who knows us from the inside
out and can help in a way no other can. Here’s the best way to deal with
temptation: Praying personally—by ourselves and praying corporately – with
others. Both are vital for the journey – forming a deeper bond connecting
us with the help of God and the needs of each other.
We are going to be tempted in life daily. This means that as we continue on our Journey
to Hope, we need to engage more and more in prayer. This is our refuge when we are tired and
weak. We need those private times of prayer…but remember that even Jesus needed
to pray with others. Take advantage of
our Weekly
Prayer meeting during Lent…join with the ongoing Wednesday morning devotion
and prayer time. We could even post
prayers for the church or others online through Facebook. Individual
encouragement could come through shared e-mail or phone prayers. Encourage
the congregation to write letters to one another, sharing prayers and
hopes.
O how different my trip in the car
might have been if instead of reaching for chocolate I had reached for the
phone to call a friend to pray with me.
I know that would have made the difference. It is the power of prayer – both individual
and corporate – that enables us to be faithful and true on our journey to hope.
