Two Reasons to Resist "Good" Feelings

Many temptations, especially physical ones, use the appeal of physical sensations. Junk food tastes good, sleeping in feels good, and alluring images look good. In general, just about all temptations capitalize on how those sensations feel, but we should resist those "good" feelings for at least two reasons.

First, those feelings don't last. The "highs" we experience from yielding to temptation are fleeting. For example, I drank a glass of hot chocolate about ten minutes ago, and it was very tasty, but I already have a sour aftertaste in my mouth. I like how hot chocolate tastes, but it only tastes good while I'm drinking it, and the pleasant sensation fades quickly. In contrast, healthy fruit smoothies also taste good, and I also feel healthier for a good while after drinking them.

The second reason to resist the temptation of good feelings is that the "good" feelings we experience while yielding to temptation are usually only "good." They don't feel great, let alone amazing or wonderful, like some other experiences do. Feeling strong feels great, feeling the Spirit feels amazing, and feeling God's love for me feels wonderful, and those are all feelings we get from righteousness, not wickedness. Sure, sin feels good, but righteousness feels better. Even if all we cared about was physical sensations, we should try to choose the right, because doing so feels so much better than giving in to temptation.

Therefore, we should resist temptation's appeal of "good" physical sensations. Those "good" feelings don't last, and we can get better feelings in better ways. Temptation is only attractive in the moment and in a vacuum. If we think about the future and/or how much better righteousness feels than wickedness, those temptations lose most of their appeal.