Like you, I am human, with the usual human desires, goals and failings. I want all the things y’all want, I dislike people for all the same reasons, and I control all my urges for the same reasons. For example, I would like a new motorcycle, I don’t need one, but I would like one. I dislike car drivers that cut me off in traffic, and I resist the urge to run them off the road because I don’t want to die or go to jail.

Sometimes though, the urges are too strong, and I need to rely on God to help me resist, and I do that, and it helps a lot. Unfortunately, there are other times when I actually resist God instead of the urges, and I that’s when things go bad, sometimes very bad.

I’m sure some of you know what I am talking about. I know I can resist, and overcome with the power that Christ gives me, but instead I just wander off into the desert and tell God I will be back later. Then afterwords, I have all these bad feeling and guilt to deal with.

Some of you have probably been taught that the guilt you feel is coming from God, but I don’t believe that. I think God is just waiting patiently for me to see my error, realize what happened, get back up and turn back to him.

So, If the guilt doesn’t come from God, where does it come from? Well, I believe it comes from Satan. He leads me down the wrong path, and I follow. Then when I get to where he wants me to be, he turns around and tells me what a terrible christian I am. He is definitely one bad guy.

I struggle you see, with why I sometimes choose to follow that temptation into sin.

Of course the Bible tells me exactly what is happening.

Matthew 26:41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

Luke 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it.

God always provides a way to overcome our temptations, but I have to choose rightly. It is my desire that I will choose rightly, and not be like the fellow in the Indiana Jones movie, of whom it was said “He chose poorly”. How about you.