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Beware of the many temptations in life

By Reverend W. Flemon McIntosh Jr. | The News Herald

Published: October 30, 2009

Henry Ward Beecher left a good thought for us to ponder: "Find out what your temptations are and you will find out largely what you are yourself."
This has deep implications, and in which lies much truth.
We get caught up with many temptations from time to time. There is no such thing as being free from temptations for if we live we are going to meet temptations each and every day.
It is strange, but true, as we clearly see that temptation rarely comes in during our busy or working time. It is the idle moments when we have the pressure of temptation lurking in our midst.
The forms are many and it takes time and insight to recognize the temper of temptation and wisdom to evaluate the cost. The weak person does not take time to investigate temptation, for he or she just gives in if the good looks are there. Some people feel that the best way to deal with temptation is to yield to it.
What do we do when we are tempted to join in with another individual or a group of individuals to run a person's name through he mud? It is so easy to jump into the conversation and become a part of the war machine against an individual who is absent. About the time each person gives into the temptation, and adds his or her little bit of the gossip to the conversation, we turn a good person into a convict or devil.
It would be a surprise for each of us to have the knowledge about how many times people are slaughtered by others who are tempted to talk about us behind our backs.
Some of the things that you are accused of, you do not have any knowledge about whatsoever. Most of the drinking parties are nothing more than slaughtering pens, for folks lose their better thinking when strong drinks are put into their bodies.
It is at this time when you hear some ugly reports on the people who are absent.
One of the worst tragedies in our society is the temptation to jump all over people and classify them because they happen to be a member of a particular group, church, race or family. Membership in the group so often brings condemnation by others.
There is temptation to feel sorry for yourself. We become depressed when we see things that other people have and we do not have them. We are depressed over the jobs, friends, education and fun that others have. We have our ups and downs and you may expect many moods in life.
There is the temptation to stay down more than you stay up, but we must learn to fight this feeling and relate to the best of times. Be optimistic and work on having a pleasant personality and positive personality. Put the best on the outside, for people do not want to know about your downs, but they are interested in your ups.
There is the temptation to be mean and contrary. Let us say at this point that there are some mean people in our midst, but this is their problem, for one day soon they must give an account of this life and, oh, what a day this will be.
By some means some people have been led to believe that when they are mean and contrary they are somewhat cute or important. They are so far from the truth, for every time you give into acting this way your life just reduced some respect for you on the part of someone looking on.
Some have the temptation to do harm to one another. Where is that love that we sing about, worship about and talk about? The harm we do to each others with our words and deeds is a disgrace. No person is justified in doing evil.
The mature person will even speak well of his or her enemies. Learn to love your enemy and forgive and forget. Forgiveness means the restoration of a broken fellowship. Be nice to each other and understand that you are a weak person when you let bad temptations rule your life.
W. Flemon McIntosh Jr. is the senior columnist for The News Herald and is the former pastor of Green Street Presbyterian Church, USA.