Musings...

Okay so I haven't updated you on my happenings for a while, but that can wait. It will take a long time but trust me I will get round to it. For the moment though I want to interrupt with some current ramblings.

In church tonight the minister was preaching on 1 Corinthians 10 about temptation, and I had a realisation. I can't say I'm great because I don't give in to the temptation of drinking or smoking or many other things. And the reason is this... am I actually tempted by any of these things? Truth is, no. I'm not tempted to smoke because I cough even when someone smokes near me. I can't claim that as a victory, becuase it isn't a battle for me. I'm not tempted to get drunk, because I don't even like the smell of beer, so I'm definitely never going to want to drink enough of it to make me drunk... therefore it's not a victory. I'm not tempted to go kiss random strangers all the time (or worse) because while kissing lots of people sounds quite appealing, I'm never going to have the courage to actually do that, so it's not a victory because it's not a battle. It's already been overcome by factors other than standing firm. But what about the little things? The things that test my ability to overcome minor temptations. Can I leave half of a chocolate bar when I know that eating the whole would be gluttony? Can I resist the urge to get angry when things don't go my way? Can I pull myself away from celebrity gossip, even when the Bible tells us not to gossip or slander? These are the little things that do tempt me, and, I'm afraid to say, in the face of which I don't come off very well. So can I stand up and say I'm overcoming temptation because I don't smoke, drink or make out with random strangers? A resounding NO! Therefore I need to go and do serious work with the little things.