Guess what, Like the israelites, I failed again. You know of the following of starting over again. It really was irritating! Starting over again. My goal was to stop this for 4 months because some people said that after 4 months of not doing or indulging in your addiction, it will not be hard for you to get over it, or should they say, you have overcomed it. But here, me, starting over again. When am I going to break this cycle?I’m tired.
Ok, here was my mistake. A while ago, when I was resting after I had arrived from school, I watched on T.V. As I was watching, There was Satan again, tempting me, injecting evil thoughts to my mind again so as to avoid temptation, I went upstairst to my room.”Yes I have passed the test!,” I said on my mind. On my room, there was a television. So as a mode of relaxation, I watched again. Unfortunately or maybe God intended to, I can’t find a remote so I was stucked to the same channel. Suddenly, that station showed a very enticing series. I got no choice(or just turn – off the T.v. or just carry my butt and go to the television set and change the channel) but to watched it. Eventually, satan used it to trapped my thoughts. He was injecting evil thought to my mind and me, the victim, seems to be enjoying that at extent of allowing satan to fill my mind with evil thought. Conseqeuntly and obviously, I gave in to his temptation. I failed! My mistake was that of not choosing to refocus my mind or to change the channel by going near to the television set or just to turn it off. That was my mistake! So to readers(If I have), here’s an exerpt from Purpose – Driven Life with my little add ons. I advise you to read so that you will not fall on the same mistake as I have done…
REFOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON SOMETHING ELSE
We are advised to refocus our attention because resisting a thought doesn’t work. It only intensifies our focus on the worng things and strengthens its allure. Let me explain:
Every time you try to block a thought out of your mind, you drive it deeper into your memory. By resisting it, you actually reinforce it. This is especially true with temptation. You don’t deafeat temptation by fighting the feeling of it. The m
ore you fight a feeling, the more it consumes and controls you.You strenghten it every time you think it.
Since temptation always begins with a thought, the quckest way to neutralize its allure is to turn you attention to something else. Don’t fight the thought, just change the channel of your mind and get interested another idea. This is the first step in defeating temptation.
Most diets don’ t work because they keep you thinking about food al the time, guaranteeing that you ‘ll be hungry. In the same way, a speaker who keeps repeating to herself, ” Don’t be nervous!” sets herself up to be nervous! Instead she should focus on anything except her feelings – On God, on the imprtance of her speech, or on the needs of those listening.
Temptation begins by capturing your attention. What gets your attention arouses your emotions. Then your emotions activte your behavior, and you act on what you felt. The more you focus on “I don’t want to do this,” the stronger it draws you into its web
Ignoring temptation is far more effective tahtn fighting it. Once yoiur mind is on someting else, the temptatin loses its power. So when temptation calls you on the phone, don’t argue with it, just hang up!
Sometimes this means physically leaving a tempting situation. This is one time it is okay to run away. Get up and turn off the television set… To avoid being stung, stay away from the bees. Do whatever is necessary to turn your attention to something else.
BIble reapetedly tells us to keep our minds focused:Phil4:8,”Fill your minds with those tings that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.”
If you’re serious about defeating temptation you must mange your mind and monitor your media intake. Don’t allow trash into your mind indiscrimately. Be selective. Choose carefully what you think about.By the help of Holy Spirit you can reprogram the way you think.
