“A little boy’s mother had just baked a fresh batch of cookies and placed them in a cookie jar, giving instructions that no one touch them until after dinner. But it was not long until she heard the lid of the jar move, and she called out “My son, what are you doing?” To which a meek voice called back, “My hand is in the cookie jar resisting temptation!” R Kent Hughes uses this story to teach the lesson that trying to resist temptation with one’s hand in the cookie jar is not just difficult but stupid.
We live in a world with open cookie jars all around us; television, internet, bill boards, magazines, smart phones, laptops, music and almost all websites have cookies that are trying to catch your attention and show you all the fun things you are missing out in life. Most cookies are not just tempting, but they are very provocative, they challenge with words like “Bet You Can’t Eat Just One?” Indulgence is one of our modern day tragedies; there is very little emphasis on self-control or the importance of discipline or delayed gratification. Yes, life is short but that does not mean we have to live our lives as if there is no tomorrow. Our addiction to instant gratification has reached a point where we are totally out of control as to how many cookie jars we put our hands in each day.
Indulgence is one of our modern day tragedies; there is very little emphasis on self-control or the importance of discipline or delayed gratification. Yes, life is short but that does not mean we have to live our lives as if there is no tomorrow.
What makes things even worse is that many of these cookie jars are re-labeled by the media and secular education as something that is not just irresistible, but as something that is socially acceptable and in fact cool. A lot of things or behaviors that were considered out rightly wrong a few years ago are now considered requirements to be socially acceptable. In a consumer culture where people are provoked to buy things even when they don’t have enough money, it is very tempting to say “no” to something when you could just swipe the plastic card and enjoy the product right away. It is sad that many do not really know the price they will be paying for their inability to exercise self-control.
Temptations are all around us, none of us are exempt or immune to temptations in this world. When we become a Christian we do not become immune to temptations, we become more conscious of the real face and power of sin and temptation.
Temptations are all around us, none of us are exempt or immune to temptations in this world. When we become a Christian we do not become immune to temptations, we become more conscious of the real face and power of sin and temptation. Henry Ward Beecher says “All men are tempted. There is no man that lives that can’t be broken down, provided it is the right temptation, put in the right spot.” It just shows how vulnerable each of us is, none of us are temptation proof, even Jesus Christ himself was tempted while in flesh. The only difference between Jesus and us being he never yielded to the temptation while we often fail to resist temptations in life.
What makes resisting temptations very difficult is the dilemma or our inability to discern whether it is a temptation or an opportunity. Most temptations disguise themselves as opportunities you really do not want to pass or miss out. The power of most temptations is in their urgency and appearance. They look very attractive and often don’t give us too much time to think and consider the long term consequences. It just feels like if we miss this one opportunity, you may never get it again. Remember all the TV infomercials where they say “Wait it’s not over yet….if you call us in the next ten minutes we will double the offer, give free shipping…etc”. They know if you can wait for the next twenty minutes without buying the product, you may actually never buy the product. If we can resist the temptation at the peak of its pressure, very soon it loses its appealing power. The Bible teaches that temptations are real and are designed by our enemy to destroy our soul. God is never the author of temptation, the three main sources of temptation are: the world around us, Satan and our evil desires or fallen nature (Eph 2:1-3, James 1:14, 1 Jn 2:16).
The secular world both underestimates the power of sin and over-estimates the power of human will or ability. The fact is that we are fallen beings and we do not have what it takes to resist all temptations in life, which is why we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern temptations and His power to resist temptations in life. “Satan gives Adam an apple and takes away paradise” says Richard Sibbes. It is never a fair trade, with temptations almost all the time what we get is nothing compared to what we lose as a result of yielding to the temptation. On hindsight all of us know that the consequences are never worth the pleasures of sin, yet temptations are difficult to handle, that is why the apostle Paul says “flee from temptation” because it may be too late to resist the temptation once your hand is in the cookie jar.
Most temptations disguise themselves as opportunities you really do not want to pass or miss out. The power of most temptations is in their urgency and appearance. They look very attractive and often don’t give us too much time to think and consider the long term consequences.
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
