12 January 2024
All temptation starts with our thoughts. You only do things that first moved through your brain as thoughts. That means there is a simple way to deal with temptation. Just don't think about it.
The challenging part is that our brains are not wired to be empty. You can't "not think" about something. In fact, the harder you try not to think about a thing, the more your mind will obsess about it.
If I tell you not to think about chocolate cake, and how moist and rich and chocolatey it is, your mind instantly brings up an image or memory of chocolate cake instead of not thinking about it.
Fortunately there is a solution to our problem. The way to stop thinking about something is to start thinking about something else. If you find your mind starting to dwell on things you know are not good for you, stop. Make it a point to start thinking about something else. Shift your focus off of that temptation and onto the truth. Think about things that are honorable, and right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
As your focus shifts onto those good thoughts, you will find the power that temptation had over you fades away to nothing. Remember, you will never be tempted by something you never think about.
And certainly, if they had been thinking of the country out of which they came, they might have had the opportunity to return.
— Hebrews 11:15 (MEV)
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