Based on prior experience, I think it's true. Then again, this could be a chicken and egg scenario. Is it that temptations are easier to resist only if you resist them quickly, or that weak temptations are easy to get rid of quickly while stronger temptations are more persistent. I have seen a connection between the strength of a temptation and the duration of the period during which I'm tempted. But which is the cause and which the effect?
In a way, it doesn't matter. We know it's better to resist temptation as soon as you know it's happening than to let the temptation linger. Whether the temptation gets stronger as it's allowed to linger or lingers because it's stronger, it doesn't change the fact that, strong or not, we need to fight it. Sure, it'd be nice if all temptations started weak so we could clear them out easily before they take too strong of a hold, but that may not be the case.
Life on earth is a learning experience. From trials and opposition, we're meant to learn self-control, and to test and strengthen our self-control, we're face with temptation. It could be that we have to face strong temptation in order to gain strong will-power. If all the temptations we faced were eliminated quickly, we may become skilled at wiping temptations out before they become hard to resist, but it won't help us gain the strength to resist strong temptations. In light of that logic, that quote I started with may be wrong.
This blog is really good for me. It gets me thinking about things like that. Gospel principles, how to resist temptation, things I need to understand and remember. Speaking of which, I just remembered that I'm teaching a lesson on Fasting in Gospel Essentials class this Sunday. I'd better start studying for that. Perhaps I'll blog about it tomorrow. Man, I'm glad I have a blog.
2 comments:
I am also glad you have a blog. It helps me as well.
I think that when we do not immediately resist a tempting thought we are already giving in to the temptation to an extent and giving it strength.
I know I would never rob a bank. But then I have the tempting thought. Who knows why. I got a big bill. I saw a bank robbery on the news or in a movie. And I begin to think about how I would do it, what I could do with the money -many very good things! - and how the bank is really rather crooked anyway. I think after some time like that, I am much more likely to actually rob a bank than I was when this whole thing started.
That might be a bit extreme because we are not that kind of law breaker (or risk taker). But what about staying home from church to enjoy a lazy day off, or eating too much of something bad for me, or watching inappropriate entertainment, or engaging in inappropriate but stimulating and fun activity with a charming person of the opposite gender?
We must not go too close to the edge. In fact, we should stay far from the edge. Resist early and resist often. Or resistance becomes futile and we are assimilated.
Lol. You are the last person I would have expected to throw in a Borg joke during a gospel discussion. xD
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