Temptations: Why Did I Want That Useless Piece of Plastic?

I remember as a child whining to try to get an exciting new toy—which really turned out to be just a worthless piece of junk. Are adult temptations much different?

Have you ever seen children whining for a toy? Parents give in to them too often.

When we are tempted, we are like that child who sees that toy he or she “must” have. But what came of all my toys? When I got a toy I wanted, I played with it for a little while, but sometimes that was it. I never picked it up again. It was entertaining for a season, but what lasting value did it have? Temptation and sin are no different—except that we don’t easily walk away from sin as we did a toy. Sin enslaves us!

But temptation is like a child’s covetous desire to have that useless piece of plastic. The toy represents sin. Getting the toy is giving into that desire and focusing on self.

Thought stopping

Temptation attempts to lure me to do what is wrong. We are all tempted, and it is how we handle temptations that’s important. It’s a matter of thought control or thought stopping. I must stop wrong thoughts in the beginning and not allow them to develop into sin. As James 1:14-15 explains, “One is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death” (New Revised Standard Version; see also 2 Corinthians 10:5-6).

As we mature, we learn that we can’t have everything that we desire. We set our priorities and make the necessary sacrifices to achieve those priorities. If we don’t, we will do something foolish, like buying a useless piece of plastic or, much worse, sinning instead of developing godly, righteous character that leads to life.

The Bible teaches me that my temptations are not unique. Everyone has been tempted. We must stop temptation before it becomes sin and eventually death (James 1:14-15). We must mature and not covet that useless piece of plastic.

Escaping temptations

As society changes and as we change, the specific temptations may vary; but ultimately, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Whatever the temptation, God has seen it before. If we think about what God has promised, we will see our focus shift from self to God. Then, the way to escape the temptation will become clear (2 Corinthians 7:10). We are to “flee”—to get away from it (1 Corinthians 6:18).

God will faithfully open the door so we can flee. But He does not push us through it. He gives us the responsibility to go through it or to slam it shut and continue down the sinful path. Part of overcoming is repentance, which is more than an emotional sorrow. It’s a change of the way we think and a consequent change of action. However, genuine sorrow can help us work harder to overcome temptation.

Disappointing God; pleasing God

I remember how it felt the last time I sinned against God and disappointed Him. I’ve experienced the heartache that comes from distancing myself from God because of my sins and likewise that joy and peace of mind that comes from knowing the depth of God’s love and never-ending mercy. He is pleased and rejoices when we repent and overcome. Why would we ever be willing to disappoint Him?

It’s like a child holding hands and walking with his parents. We are to have a close personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. Temptation and sin come when the child removes the loving grasp of his father to go play in the filth and garbage. I have to ask myself, do I really want to break free from my loving Father to go get spiritually dirty?

We cannot overcome sin and temptation alone. We must set aside time for prayer. We must engage God concerning temptation. We must talk to Him before, during and after being tempted. He is truly the One who can help. Temptation pulls us into isolation and focusing on the self. We then say things like, “You know, I do deserve that.” We must be careful.

Along with prayer, we can find activities to occupy our thoughts and to shift the focus from the self and wrong thoughts. We can study the Bible; we can call a friend; we can find an area where we can serve.

When we slip, we must confess the slip instead of categorizing it as no big deal. After we tell God about our mistake, we should move forward, learn from it and figure out where we went astray in order to avoid that path next time.

It’s a matter of maturity. As an adult, I should control those desires and not throw childish fits. I must have my mind focused on God, properly discerning the uselessness of that toy—and the unprofitable nature of temptation leading to sin.

Johnathan Armstrong attends the Little Rock, Arkansas, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, and is a graduate student working on his doctorate in physics.

Related links:

• The Truth About Temptation
• Overcoming Temptation: Finding a Way of Escape