Every single day we all have apples (temptations) that are dangled in front of us. Temptation started with Eve in Genesis 3, and it is still working on us today. Often, with the same old tricks.
Don’t bite the apple.
Temptation is often subtle- sometimes the apple itself doesn’t even appear to be sinful. It may start as simply a distraction, but underneath the distraction is an evil attempt to deter us from God’s best for us.
Everyday we have to fight to do God’s will in our lives.
Doing His will today will set us up for more of His will and blessings tomorrow. If we succumb to the distractions today (that we often don’t even spot as distractions), then tomorrow we will be further away from God’s best plan for our lives.
The beautiful thing is that even when we do get off track, we serve a God that is not limited to only our good decisions. He has the ability to use even our poor decisions for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). So, let’s not waste time thinking about what we should have done; instead let’s focus our attention on what we can do now.
Don’t Bite The Apple: 5 Tips
1. Do what’s right. When faced with a decision, do what’s right as opposed to doing what you feel. What we feel is often wrong, while doing right will cost us up front but we will reap the benefits later.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
– Psalm 37:3
2. Forgive. No matter what comes your way, forgive. We give Satan an advantage over us when we walk around with unforgiveness and resentment in our heart. Unforgiving people are angry people because they are holding on to hurt. Let it go! As hard as it may be, it is well worth it to forgive. Let go. Move on. Trust God to handle all wrongdoing (Romans 12:19).
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
– Galatians 6:7
3. Speak the Word. The Word is the ultimate Truth and when we speak it we unleash its power in our lives. It helps us with our thinking, attitudes, emotions, and actions. The Word of God is powerful. Have you ever felt down but then began to read and speak the Word? It has a supernatural way of encouraging! It really works. This is why Satan works so hard to prevent us from reading God’s Word.
He knows the inherent power that it holds. When Jesus himself was tempted by Satan, He spoke the Word. He could have done anything, but He simply spoke the Word. How did Satan respond? He left him (Matthew 4).
Nothing can stand against the Word of God.
4. Praise. Life and the issues of it have a way of distracting us; attempting to shift our attention from the goodness and greatness of God. Praise gets us back on track. When we praise God we are reminded of His power and sovereignty. A few minutes of praise throughout the day helps us to keep everything in proper perspective.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
– Psalm 23:4
5. Pray. Sometimes all we can do is pray. We must turn to God and ask for help and strength- admitting we can’t do it alone. Doing life without God will only get us so far, and the end won’t be good. We must humble ourselves and pray to the One who created us and knows us better than we even know ourselves (Psalm 139:13-17).
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
– Hebrews 4:16
My prayer is that you enjoy your day the whole way through, wearing the whole armour of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6: 11). Don’t bite the apple.
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). I sincerely believe that.
