Stop and see what’s happening. Stop at the place where
you first recognize the scent of temptation in the air. And
before you touch it, remember... remember where it’s been.
Remember where it came from and who’s behind it. And if it’s
one of those repeat temptations you’ve been battling against
for years, remember the places it’s taken you... the places it
always ends up taking you.
Because as soon as you say yes to it, you’re headed there
again.
And you know it.The kind of prayer strategy we’re about to employ treats
every temptation as the potent, life-threatening stick of
dynamite that it is. Despite how inviting it seems, despite how
natural it feels, despite how much simpler the rest of your day
would seem to go if you just gave in and went along with it,
temptations are never innocuous. The consequences are never
minimal. The waves of your choice will ripple outward into your
heart, mind, soul, and body, possibly even to future
generations.