By Corie Steinke, director of student involvement
This week’s Scripture verses: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 | Psalm 32 | Romans 5:12-19 | Matthew 4:1-11
On average it takes 66 days for someone to change or form a new habit. By that study, if you want to stick to those (by now) long forgotten New Year’s resolutions, it should take about 66 days for you to be successful. I won’t look, but raise your hand if those resolutions aren’t exactly working out. It’s okay. I’m with you.
I can only really speak for myself, but I don’t think I’m alone in this: my resolutions don’t work out because I lack serious drive to power through when my priorities shift. I’m sure I’m not the only one who also chose something they probably shouldn’t have been doing over working out, or reading that book, or working on that relationship. The temptation to fall back into bad habits far outweighs making the good habits work, because frankly sometimes the bad habits feel better.
God does not promise us that we will never be tempted by those short term things that sound good, look good or feel good. Even Jesus, a figure fully God and fully human, encountered temptation.
So how do we resist temptation if we can’t physically hide from it?
Instead of completely shielding us from temptation, God instead emboldens us through our worship to trust in him, to rebuke those things that keep us from drawing closer to him. God knows what is best for us, that’s a fact. For any healthy relationship to grow and build trust, we have to spend time with Jesus. We have to be intentional about creating that space where we can be real and life-giving.
My prayer for us this Lent is that we find that space, that we don’t lose focus on that practice, and that we prepare ourselves to encounter God with a posture that open to life-changing possibilities.