Don’t park in front of the donut shop

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”

Our Bible verse for today: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to all mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Don’t park in front of the donut shop”

I read an interesting piece of advice the other day. It came from Reginald Ward in his book, “A Guide for Spiritual Directors.” The topic was guiding believers through the process of progressive sanctification, and helping them to develop lifestyles that are more consistent with what would be expected of a serious follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The issue being discussed was temptation, and how to break free from the habitual patterns of sin that we all sometimes get stuck in. How do we break the pattern of sinful, bad, or unhealthy habits? Ward offers this advice, “Lengthen the space between offenses.” In other words, rather than focusing on the ultimate goal of having complete victory over this sinful, destructive, or unhealthy habit, focus instead on overcoming the temptation in this moment. Never mind if you will be able to resist the temptation tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year. Can you resist it today, in this moment? And the answer, of course, is yes, you can.

That’s what Paul was teaching in 1 Corinthians 10:13. God will give us the strength to resist the temptation now, in this moment. Then we can deal with the next moment of temptation when it arises tomorrow, or next week, next, month, or next year.

Just do what you need to do to resist it now. This moment is where you will find the grace and the strength to do it. Let tomorrow take care of itself. But you do have to do your part. You do have to intentionally avoid the situations that you know will potentially create temptations for you, and you must take the off-ramps out of situations as God shows them to you.

For instance, if you struggle with maintaining a healthy diet, and if donuts are one of your weaknesses, then when you’re looking for a parking spot at the strip mall do not park in front of the donut shop! Do your part to stay out of situations that could tempt you.

Breaking bad habits happens one moment at a time. There is grace and strength found in each moment, but it is also incumbent on each of us to do our part by looking for the way out of the situation that God promised us will be there.

So, don’t park in front of the donut shop.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply