Day 27. Defeating Temptation

Day 27. Defeating Temptation

In 1989, Jerry Jenkins (Left Behind fame), published a book Hedges: Loving Your Marriage Enough to Protect It. A revised edition was released in 2005. A comment from one of the Amazon reviews:

“Through … illustrative stories and personal anecdotes, Jenkins takes the reader through exactly what mistakes people make when dealing with the opposite sex, including what many see as mild flirting. He talks about certain rules like, never be alone with a person of the opposite sex who is not your relative. He explains, without preaching, the importance of planting "hedges" around your marriage (Rick’s emphasis) to keep your odds of infidelity at bay. It is just amazing how many people believe they're completely safe from cheating, but can find themselves in a compromising position without these hedges.

”This book touched me unlike any marriage book I've read. Jenkins is, in non-fiction, still a powerful writer and story-teller. He made me think more seriously about my own marriage, and my relationships with other men. I was convicted, and freed at the same time. Though the book is primarily written with men in mind, women can gain from it as well.” Natalie Jost

Satan has a real toe hold with regard to sexual sin, and Jenkins urges building hedges around our relationships from the very beginning. Warren points out that avoiding temptation is easier than escaping it once we’ve been tempted. And we know the great power of the human mind to rationalize. Every temptation can lead us down the slippery slope if we succumb to the early nudgings (see yesterday’s blog on the seven deadly sins).

Hedges work for all of them. Maybe the best hedge is the simple prayer, “Dear God, tell me what Jesus would do?”

What hedges do you need to build to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ?

Blessings,

Rick