PDL Marathon.......Day 27 Episode 2...! Dont fight the thought, just change the channel of your mind and get interested in another idea. This is the first step in defeating temptation. The battle for sin is won or lost in your mind. Whatever gets your attention will get you. Thats why job said, I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman. And David prayed, Keep me from paying attention to what is worthless. Have you ever watched a food advertisement on television and suddenly felt you were hungry? Have you ever heard someone cough and immediately felt the need to clear your throat? Ever watched someone release a big yawn and felt the urge to yawn yourself? (You may be yawning right now as you read this!) That is the power of suggestion. We naturally move toward whatever we focus our attention on. The more you think about something, the stronger it takes hold of you. That is why repeating I must stop eating too much ... or stop smoking ... or stop lusting is a self-defeating strategy. It keeps you focused on what you dont want. Its like announcing, Im never going to do what my mom did. You are setting yourself up to repeat it. Most diets dont work because they keep you thinking about food all the time, guaranteeing that youll be hungry. In the same way, a speaker who keeps repeating to herself, Dont be nervous! sets herself up to be nervous! Instead she should focus on anything except her feelings-on God, on the importance of her speech, or on the needs of those listening. Temptation begins by capturing your attention. What gets your attention arouses your emotions. Then your emotions activate your behavior, and you act on what you felt. The more you focus on I dont want to do this, the stronger it draws you into its web. Ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting it. Once your mind is on something else, the temptation loses its power. So when temptation calls you on the phone, dont argue with it, just hang up! Sometimes this means physically leaving a tempting situation. This is one time it is okay to run away. Get up and turn off the television set. Walk away from a group that is gossiping. Leave the theater in the middle of the movie. To avoid being stung, stay away from the bees. Do whatever is necessary to turn your attention to something else.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 08:22:44 +0000
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