{"id":1932,"date":"2012-02-10T05:55:58","date_gmt":"2012-02-10T10:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/godonomics\/?p=1932"},"modified":"2012-02-03T17:09:34","modified_gmt":"2012-02-03T22:09:34","slug":"overcome-temptation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2012\/02\/overcome-temptation.html","title":{"rendered":"Overcome Temptation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As we look at the business environment&#8230;as we look at parenting our kids&#8230;as we look at the daily barrage of possible choices we could make, we realize that we are constantly faced with temptation. We are constantly inundated with opportunities to give into temptation. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And everyone wants to know how to overcome temptation&#8230; until the moment that are in it&#8230;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Jesus offers an upside down paradigm for addressing temptation. This principle is the secret to overcoming temptation. \u00a0\u00a0It may seem counter-intuitive, it may seem confusing at first, but if you can \u201cget it\u201d, it can change everything.\u00a0 To overcome temptation,\u00a0 when you are tempted to take the short gain&#8230; Go Long!! \u00a0\u00a0(repeat)\u00a0 When we most want the short gain, we need to Go Long!! \u00a0 In every temptation, there is a tendency to be caught in the moment. To only see the short term. \u00a0And miss the Long Game. To miss the bigger picture. To see what is fully at stake in this moment. \u00a0To not see the connection between this temptation, this decision, this circumstance and a much \u00a0bigger picture.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In the short term, lying will probably make your life easier&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>In the short term, fudging the form will get you some extra money&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>In the short term, holding back the truth will probably help you avoid an awkward conversation and not hurt someone\u2019s feeling&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>In the short term, one more dessert isn\u2019t going to hurt anyone&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>In the short term, one little look at that website isn\u2019t going to destroy your life&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>In the short term, one little flirtatious look might be fun and harmless&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>In the short term, profit over people&#8230; gossip about colleague&#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">That\u2019s the whole point of temptation. It will get you and I to focus on the short term. To stare into the \u201cimmediate,\u201d but overcoming temptation is about an upside paradigm. \u00a0\u00a0When you want the short gain, you need to go long.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, \u201cIf You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.\u201d4 But He answered and said, \u201cIt is written, \u2018Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Notice that Jesus is lead into the wilderness. It is hear that he facing temptation. \u00a0\u00a0And notice the short term problem. he is hungry. he is really famished. \u00a0His appetites are screaming, \u201cFeed me.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0 And The temptor appeals to his short term appetites&#8230;.His appetites for food, \u201cIf you are hungry, make some food\u201d&#8230; and his appetite for \u201cproving himself\u201d by saying \u201cIf you are the son of God&#8230;\u201d \u00a0\u00a0Temptation always appeals to our short term appetites.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Our appetite for revenge&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>Our appetite for proving we are right&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>Our appetite to prove we are \u201csomebody&#8230;\u201d by overspending&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>Our appetites for power by telling someone off..<\/li>\n<li>Our appetite for lust&#8230; But that short term appetites will be the death of us.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more\u2014until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">How did the Eskimo kill the wolf? \u00a0By appealing to His Short Term Appetites. \u00a0\u00a0When he most wanted the short term \u201ctaste\u201d of blood&#8230; he needed to go long, and see the sharp blade hidden within&#8230;.This is what happens with temptation. You are so caught up in the Here and Now&#8230;the short run, that you miss the Long Term. \u00a0You miss the impending danger for yourself and others. The wolf was focused on the short term, not the long term. The immediate, not the impending. \u00a0He, like us, needs to Go Long and realize that temptation affects your Future.<\/p>\n<p>For a free session of Godonomics, visit:\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.godonomics.com\/watch-session-5\">http:\/\/www.godonomics.com\/watch-session-5<\/a><\/p>\n<table width=\"342\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<col width=\"342\" \/>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"342\" height=\"20\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MMi3M0080-k\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MMi3M0080-k<\/a>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we look at the business environment&#8230;as we look at parenting our kids&#8230;as we look at the daily barrage of possible choices we could make, we realize that we are constantly faced with temptation. We are constantly inundated with opportunities to give into temptation. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And everyone wants to know how to overcome temptation&#8230; until the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":353,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[275,442],"tags":[532,531],"class_list":["post-1932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-decision-making","category-disciplines-2","tag-overcoming-temptation","tag-temptation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Overcome Temptation - Godonomics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2012\/02\/overcome-temptation.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Overcome Temptation - Godonomics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As we look at the business environment&#8230;as we look at parenting our kids&#8230;as we look at the daily barrage of possible choices we could make, we realize that we are constantly faced with temptation. We are constantly inundated with opportunities to give into temptation. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And everyone wants to know how to overcome temptation&#8230; until the&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2012\/02\/overcome-temptation.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Godonomics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-02-10T10:55:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-02-03T22:09:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"chadhovind\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Overcome Temptation - Godonomics","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2012\/02\/overcome-temptation.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Overcome Temptation - Godonomics","og_description":"As we look at the business environment&#8230;as we look at parenting our kids&#8230;as we look at the daily barrage of possible choices we could make, we realize that we are constantly faced with temptation. 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He graduated from Moody Bible College in Chicago, majoring in pastoral ministry and communication. His love for ministry and creativity can be seen in many forms: leading teams, expository teaching, acting, and video production. He has served as pastor at two high-impact churches in Georgia: Cumberland Community Church and New Community Church. Chad received an M.A. in Ministry from Moody Graduate School in 2008. He loves volleyball, movies, and hanging out with his wife Beth and their three children.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.godonomics.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/author\/chadhovind"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/353"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1932"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1934,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932\/revisions\/1934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}