Playbook: The Game Plan for Navigating TemptationSample

Temptations are frustrating! It is so hard not to continue doing the harmful things we are used to doing. We often feel pressure to continue these wrong actions, too. When we continue to fail at trying not to do the same things we’ve done, it is easy to become frustrated. In seventh grade, I promised Jesus that I would stop cheating on my tests at school. While I was keeping my promise to Jesus, I began to notice that my friends were getting better grades on tests than I was simply because they were still cheating. I followed Jesus’ instructions by not cheating, but I was so upset that my friends were doing better than me on tests. Soon, I felt tempted to cheat again. I was so disappointed and frustrated with myself when I finally gave in. Why did I continue to fall into my temptations even when I knew they were bad?

We all encounter these moments when we feel tempted. We all experience urges to do actions that do not follow Jesus’ calling, but it is important to remember that Jesus’ love for us never ends. Therefore, when we make mistakes by following our temptations, we must remember that Jesus loves us regardless.

Next time that we struggle to remember Jesus’ love despite our mistakes, we should re-read and think about this Scripture. Remember what it tells us about Jesus’ love for us.