What pleases God

It's true that the power God gives us is enough to overcome anything (see Philippians 4:13). But what about when we get... distracted? If the narrow path that God leads us on is like a corridor filled with doors, getting to the very end without hearing/smelling/seeing/imagining what lies behind each of the doors can be difficult.

These things are called temptations and can seem like a good idea at the time. Solomon put it this way: 'My son, if sinful men entice you ... do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths' (Proverbs 1:10;15 NIV). And: 'There is a path...that seems right, but it ends in death' (Proverbs 14:12 NLT).

If we're struggling to resist, we're not alone. Some of the best advice for when faced with wandering from God's will is this: decide beforehand what we're going to do. Before we've even set foot in the day/tempting place, know what we want to do. Paul explains we need to 'find out what pleases the Lord' (Ephesians 5:10 NIV). Chances are, we probably have a good idea about what God does and doesn't want for us. If we know we're prone to a certain temptation, let's decide now that we don't want it, for the sake of staying close to God.



So what now? If you've been sidetracked lately, ask God for forgiveness and ask him what he wants you to do. If you feel well on track, good on you, just keep on focusing on what pleases God.





— SCRIPTURE —

'There is a path...that seems right, but it ends in death.' Proverbs 14:12 NLT
— SOULFOOD —

Jos 1:7-8, 2 Tim 3:14-17, Ps 119:1-16