WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF TEMPTATION?
Par-1
As long as we live in the world, we cannot escape temptations and tribulations. As Job writes, “Our life on this earth is warfare.” For this reason, we must be careful and concerned about our temptations.
We must be watchful in prayer lest the devil be allowed to deceive us. The devil never sleeps but “seeks whom he may devour.”
Remember, no one is so Holy that he or she does not have to deal with temptations. We can never be free of them by ourselves. We need Jesus. We need the Holy Spirit. We need to pray. The Word of God and prayer is our weapon against the evil one.
THE USEFULNESS OF TEMPTATIONS
And yet, temptations can be useful to us even though they seem to cause us nothing but pain. They are useful because they can make us humble, they can cleanse us, and they can teach us.
All of the saints passed through times of temptation and tribulation, and they used them to make progress in their spiritual lives. Those who did not deal with temptations successfully fell to the wayside.
THE SOURCE OF TEMPTATIONS: WHY WE CAN’T ESCAPE IT?
No one is completely free of temptations because the source of temptation is in ourselves. We were born with sinful desires. When one temptation passes, another is on its way. We will always have temptation because we are sinners who lost our original innocence in The Garden of Eden.
Many have tried to escape temptations only to find that they more grievously fall into them. We cannot win the battle by escaping away alone; the key or victory is true humility and Patience; in them, we overcome the enemy.
If we merely turn away from temptation outwardly and do not strike at the root, we will make very little progress. You will find that the temptations will return more quickly and powerfully, and you will feel even worse.
Little by little, through patient endurance of spirit (with the help of God), you will win a better victory than by your determination.
TEMPTATIONS REVEAL WHO WE ARE
The beginning of all evil temptations is an unstable mind and a small trust in God. Just as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the waves, so a person who lacks resolution and certainty is tossed about by temptations.
Temptation reveals our instability and our lack of trust in God; temptations reveal who we are. This is why we must pay attention to them.
HOW TEMPTATIONS ENTER AND OVERCOME US
We will do better in dealing with temptations if we keep an eye on them in the very beginning.
Temptations are more easily overcome if they are never allowed to enter our minds. Meet them at the door as soon as they knock, and do not let them in. One simple thought can enter the mind and start the process.
The process works like this.
- The thought is allowed to enter into our minds.
- The imagination is sparked by the thought.
- We feel a sense of pleasure at the fantasy, and we entertain it.
- We engage in the evil action, assenting to its urges.
This is how, little by little, temptations gain entrance and overcome us if they are not resisted at the beginning. The longer we let them overcome us, the weaker we become, and the stronger the enemy against us.
NEVER DESPAIR: GOD IS WITH YOU
We must not despair when we are tempted but, instead, seek God more fervently, asking for His help in this time of tribulation.
Remember St. Paul’s words of assurance. “God will make a way of escape from every temptation so that we may be able to bear it.”
Let us, therefore, humble ourselves before God and take shelter beneath His hand. God will lift all who have a humble spirit and save them in all trials and tribulations.
Patience is necessary in this life because so much of life is fraught with adversity. No matter how hard we try, our lives will never be without strife and grief.
Thus, we should not strive for a peace that is without temptation, or for a life that never feels adversity.
Peace is not found by escaping temptations, but by being tried by them. We will have discovered peace when we have been tried and come through the trial of temptation.
THE PAIN OF TEMPTATIONS
“But,” you may say, “What about those who find such pleasure and delight when they give in to temptations?”
To be sure, there is pleasure for them, but how long does it last? It’s like smoke—it vanishes quickly. Soon even the memory of the joy is gone. They will never find rest, and they will live in bitterness, weariness, and fear.
The very thing they think will bring them joy will bring them sorrow; that which they think will please them will bring them only pain.
Because of their blindness and numbness, they may never see or feel how miserable they are. They may not even know that their soul is slowly dying.
THE WAY TO TRUE DELIGHT
But, if you want to have true delight, here is the way: have contempt for all worldly things, and all lower delights and rich consolation will, in turn, be given to you.
In proportion as you withdraw yourself from the love of these things, so you will find consolations from God much sweeter and more potent.
At first, this will be difficult. Long-standing habits will resist, but they will be vanquished, in time, by a better habit— if you persevere!
The flesh will cry out, but it will be restrained by the Spirit. The devil will try to stir you up and provoke you, but he will run away the moment you begin to pray. And above all, try to engage in useful work. And by doing so, the devil is prevented from having access to you.
LAY THE AXE TO THE ROOT
If we made an effort to stand firmly and courageously in the struggle, doubtless we should see the help of our Lord from Heaven, for He is ready to help those who trust in His grace;
He gives us occasions to fight so that we may win. If our spiritual progress relies only on outward observances, our devotion will not last long.
Let us lay the axe to the root so that by being purged of unruly passions we may have peace of mind. If every year we uprooted a single fault, we should soon become perfect.
But often feel that we were better and purer at the beginning of our spiritual lives than we are now after many years of living our vows!
Fervour and progress ought to increase daily, but it is thought to be a fine thing these days if a person can hold on to even a little of those first intense feelings!
If we exercised a little self-discipline at the beginning, then we would later be able to do everything easily and joyfully.
TO
Be continued part-2
