Infant Steps: Fighting Temptations

Beloved EROLyrics Readers,

Hope your week has started out greatly. Covenant grace and peace be to you in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, who reigns forevermore.

Today’s question on the Infant Steps Series is from me to you. It is about fighting temptations. You can read one of my experiences with temptation here and my analogy of temptation with the forbidden fruit.

Temptations can come to challenge your strength as a child of God, challenge your beliefs and integrity, or to make you feel you are not good enough.

My question is, "Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the temptation seemed to overwhelm you yet you were able to overcome? If yes, what did you do? What made you not to give in?" Your experience does not have to be as "you know" as mine...:-)

Thank you,

Rita.

You might also like Overcoming Addiction on the Infant Steps Series...

If there be any unconfessed sin in your heart, do not hesitate to confess to God and probably the person(s) that needs to know.

If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts.

If you want to view past questions and answers on the Infant Steps Series, please check the list on the sidebar right of the blog.

All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time.

Infant Steps: How do I overcome addiction?

Beloved EROLyrics Readers,

Welcome to this blessed week. Covenant grace and peace be to you in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, who reigns forevermore. Today, we have another question on the Infant Steps Series. It has to do with addiction to smoking. When I received the question, I felt addiction is addiction, whether it is to smoking, drinking, fornication, or watching TV :-) just to name a few. Please as you respond to Greg’s question below, it will be most appreciated if your response could also help others facing any form of addiction. Thank you.

Dear Rita,
I am addicted to cigarettes for over 5 years. I have tried everything I can to stop smoking but the longest I have stayed away from the cigarette is 1 day. New Year resolutions have been futile. The most frustrating part is that I have been a born-again Christian for about two years, yet I have not been able to stop. I hope to serve the Lord with all my heart and soul, but I do not think I am worthy of being called a Christian if I cannot stop smoking.

Is my situation hopeless? Do you know what I can do to overcome this addiction? Do you know of anyone that has overcome this challenge?

Greg.



If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts.

All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time.

The Tanker Driver

I used to have one thing called Tankerphobia. It started because of a story my mother said that before I was born. She said a tanker came running into them directed at her (or me). She made me believe that it wanted to prevent me from being (I think I have blogged about this sometime in the past). Having that fear, I never wanted to drive. After managing to learn how to drive, I had a couple of episodes with tanker drivers. I have had a smashed booth, destroyed side mirrors and cars that panel-beating could not restore because of tanker drivers. I have even pursued a tanker driver with barefoot.

On this fateful day when I was trying my driving skills in Lagos, I came to a junction that led to an expressway. Cars were zooming past at alarming speeds. I told myself that probably a handsome man will slow down for me when I flash or one of those expensive jeeps that do not want to be jammed will slow down when I make a move. 15 minutes past. To my disappointment, neither male nor female, handsome or agbero, jeep or moto, okada or bicycle stopped for me. I was still flashing and trafficating.

I spotted a tanker driver coming with high speed. I immediately stopped flashing and trafficating so he would not know I was interested in entering the expressway. Quickly I reversed small incase it occurred to him to do what I have known them to do. I prayed for the tanker driver to pass quickly so I could continue my flashing and begging, or wait for the expressway to be free (indeed!).

To my astonishment, the tanker driver stopped and flashed me, indicating that I should go ahead. That is not all; his assistant stopped the cars coming behind them so I could have the road to myself. I quickly took advantage of the opportunity and drove back to my destination joyfully.

Maybe God was trying to tell me to change my thinking. Or maybe He was showing me some things I should not have done…

1) I prejudged. Is there someone who is prejudging like I did? You feel you know so much about this person, this opportunity, this situation, what ever you call it, and as such you do not want to take it? What seems like it is no so good might end up being too good to be true.
2) I withdrew because of what I knew in the past. Is there someone out there, like me, who is afraid to step into the future because of something that happened in the past? It is time to let go, says the spirit of God. A better future is waiting for you.

Like the fruit of the palm kernel, the sweetest part of it is encased within the core of a hard shell that does not look too nice.

My prayer for myself and anyone that is in this position is that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened to see opportunities no matter what our past says, to heed the inner voice of our hearts, and to be ready to move into the great future awaiting us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Bible Reference: 2 Cor 5: 17 (KJV) Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.