But, what exactly is a temptation? I whipped right over to wikipedia just to see if I could find any guidance as to what exactly it is -- and there I found:
"Temptation" is something that allures, excites, and seduces someone.
Now let's think about this for a minute. If we go back to Adam and Eve. Eve was tempted by the "forbidden fruit." It called to her, she yearned to taste and have her eyes opened. But, what happened? She found she REALLY didn't like what she saw. She found "original sin."
On a more "today" level. Commercials and media tempt us daily, hourly. They feed into our desires and needs. We have to have these various things and products in our world or we will NEVER be happy.
I remember back at Christmas when every show was inundated with toy commercials. "Mommy, I want that." "Can I have that?" "Mommy, that is SO COOL." Then there is the Toys R US Toy Book that comes out (yes, WalMart and Target have followed suit with comparable books). Cade SLEPT with the book. He read the book daily. He just knew that he really NEEDED these things. He HAD TO HAVE the latest and greatest and most desired toys.
Why do we have to have them though? Why do we really think that the brand new latest and greatest __________ will truly make us happy? Why do we allow ourselves to be tempted at all? We know these things are only going to fill a small void very temporarily.
Last Sunday, I preached my children sermon on this very thought. The scripture, Luke 4:4, "Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone." I asked them if the things that made them "happy" right now would still make them happy in 10 years. The exciting WII game, Miley Cyrus, Transformers. All of these things provide a temporary happiness but none will last. As much of a cult classic as Spongebob is, as much as 10 years from now we will still sing that stupid theme song, will Spongebob really make us happy?
In life we are tempted. In life we try and fill voids with things that we THINK will make us happy. We find things that provide us pleasure. My favorite dessert in the world is fresh gooey homemade fudge. Just thinking about that chocolaty goodness makes my senses jump. It is rich, it is almost sinful, but homemade fudge provides pleasure for me. But will it make me happy? Momentarily I guess, but no.
Marketers, tempters use triggers to get at every one of our senses. They make things look REALLY appealing because they know we will give in to that temptation. They get into our heads and make us believe that these things will make us happy, but they will only be temporary.
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