Temptation

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. Mark 1:9-13


With the new year come new resolutions and lots of people trying to change their eating habits to lose weight. I've heard the word temptation floating around a good deal. And it is hard to stay on a tight regimen, but it is personal and a small temptation. We often worry about these kind of temptations and let slide the real temptations - using our blessings for our own comfort alone.

The temptations that came to Jesus were those of the abuse of his power, the use of his gifts to control and subdue others, and using what he had been given to make his life more comfortable. On the heels of the glorious moment when the heavens opened and God declared love and blessings, Jesus faces not only hunger and isolation but the worst of temptations. He recognizes his own power and has to chose to use it for God's purpose and for the good of others. We are invited today to struggle with our own temptation to use our power and position for our own comfort alone. We are invited to seek God in our blessings and to chose for the good of others.

Today I ask God to help me face my own temptations. May our temptations become blessings and our struggles bring us closer to the heart of God. And may we offer to God the blessings and gifts we have been given so that the world might know God's love and blessing today.