>MEN: BEWARE OF TEMPTATION > >Men and women respond to temptation differently. Women tend to >flee temptation, while men like to crawl away slowly and hope >temptation will overtake them. > >No man sets out to succumb to temptation on purpose. Yet every >day we learn of men, Christian men, who fail. Unless a man >remains perpetually vigilant, his own evil desires carry him into >temptation and sin. > >Six temptations men face: > > * Emotional neglect. Men are most tempted not to give their > wives the thing they desire the most: emotional connection > and intimacy; the sharing of yourself at the deepest level, > and wanting to know the same level in your spouse. God > commanded, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved > the church (Eph. 5:25). The Bible gives no similar > instructions to wives because wives are naturally drawn to an > intimate love relationship. For men it must be learned. > > * Lust. Men become sexually stimulated visually. When a man > looks and lusts, that does not mean he no longer loves his > wife. He is engaged in temptation - physical and spiritual. > We live in a sexually over-stimulated culture in which many > men are drained of the spiritual energy needed to expose > temptation and the moral energy to resist it. The best way to > resist sexual temptation is to flee from it. > > * False gods. You can have only one god. Most men try to > worship an idol and God. That, too, is impossible. Idolatry > is the error of giving worship or homage to any power or > object other than God. It's either going to be Jesus Christ > or something else. And whatever the something else is, it > will never satisfy (e.g. accomplishments, money, pleasure, > possessions, power, prestige, or position). > > * Money and debt. Men find money intoxicating. Jesus named > money as his chief competitor: No one can serve two > masters....You cannot serve both God and money (Matt. 6:24). > Not only is man tempted to earn more money, but also to > borrow more money than he can afford to repay. The temptation > is not to love God or money. The temptation is to love them > both. To live debt-free within your means, with Jesus as the > god of your life, is the goal. > > * Whining. The Bible tells of people who grumbled about the > sufficiency of God's care. When men see others advancing more > rapidly, frequently resentments, jealousies, envy, and > bitterness build up. Slights, perceived and real, grind on > his ego. The way to overcome the temptation to complain is to > accept your lot in life and get on with a positive outlook. > Paul said, I have learned to be content whatever the > circumstances (Phil 4:11). > > * Pride. Stubborn pride often keeps a man from humbling himself > and admitting he's wrong. Temptation to pride comes in many > disguises. The most common form is for a man to look down > with disdain on others. It is a sin of comparison in which a > man compares his [perceived] strength with another's > weaknesses. Equally insidious is the temptation for a man to > look up in disgust to others who have it better or have > accomplished more. Pride can even cause some men to feel they > are above talking about "touchy feelings," and so emotionally > neglect their wives. > >----------- > Patrick Morley is a business leader, speaker, and the > best-selling author of seven books, including The Man > in the Mirror, Walking with Christ in the Details of > Life, The Rest of Your Life, Devotions for Couples, > and The Seven Seasons of a Man's Life. He lives with > his family in Orlando, Fla. > > Taken from What Husbands Wish Their Wives Knew About > Men by Patrick M. Morley. Copyright (c) 1998 by > Patrick M. Morley. Used by permission of Zondervan > Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49530, > 1-800-727-3480. ********************************************************************** This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] To know more about Jesus Youth, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org **********************************************************************
