There was a quote that I wrote down from Jon Koh last Sunday that said “We need to make a decision before the temptation, not in the middle of it…”
Jon mentioned that making a decision before the temptation keeps you from getting swayed by the circumstances and feelings in the midst of temptations.
In my life right now, there are exams and papers that need to be written, requiring a lot of time management and discipline. One thing that I’ve noticed in these past couple weeks is that when I go to do a paper or study for an exam, I can sense my mind and body being overwhelmed by the difficulty of the task or the amount of work needed to be done. These feelings are often accompanied by negative thoughts that suggest either quitting or doing something that is less taxing on the brain.
What I found in my process was that I was making the decision to write and study in the midst of writing and studying, which caused me to be more susceptible to giving into the temptations of being lazy and doing things besides what I needed to do.
But when I made the decision to do an X amount of work or an X amount of studying, there was a focus, intentionality, and resilience that followed that decision. It was not absent of temptation, it was in spite of it. I noticed that making the decision reminded me of the goal, the mandate, the vision which allowed me to keep making every effort to get what I needed done.
It is important to mention that with that decision came the grace of God that allowed me to fall and get back up in the middle of the process. I wish every decision we made went according to plan but the reality is, it is only by God’s grace and His power that we can endure through temptations.
The decision we make is an invitation for our mind, body and soul to partner with God to persevere through whatever temptations come our way. It is the first step we need to make in order for God to work with us and through us.
Now I know many of you are not in school and have bigger hardships than struggling doing papers and exams but what I want to pose to you is a question of decision making.
Are there areas in your life where you need to start making decisions rather than letting your feelings and circumstances do it for you?
Your Finances? Your Family? Your Relationships? Your Devotion to God? Etc.
What would change if we decided today that we were going to do this______ or that we were going to be this_____ and that no matter what temptations come our way, we made our decision to persevere through it! Because we know that:
Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
“3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Father, I pray that you would search our hearts today. Bring us revelation to the areas in which we need to make a decision. I thank you that You God made a decision to send Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, knowing that he would suffer the worst death but you thought of us. I thank you Jesus that you persevered through the temptations of the enemy and that you endured through it all for us. I pray that we would be more and more like you Jesus. Holy Spirit, lead us in your ways and teach us to be sensitive to you. God, let our first decision we make everyday, be You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.