The Lord's Prayer - Part VII

And Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Dear Friends: Today, we meditate upon the meanings of temptation. We all know the traditional meaning of this word and there is no doubt our lives are daily presented with opportunities which we know do not serve our higher calling. Common among these meanings is a constant source of battle between the ideal we are seeking to live as opposed to our self-judgments and the judgments of others of our self. Yet there are no burdens we can place upon ourselves that we cannot forgive, most of all, our self recriminations. The answer is to cease judgment and condemn not, either ourselves, or others. For every opportunity presented to us by our souls is once again, in that moment, a choice to decide who and what we will be.

1 Corinthians:

10 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The "escape" is your ability to decide for yourself what you will be or not be, what you will do or not do. It is also, your grand opportunity not to judge, either yourself or others or any situation which you may find yourself in. Demonstrate to yourself, that you deserve to be and are, worthy of God's love at all times. It is God's love for you that allows you to escape. And if you cannot bear the circumstances, look to God for strength and find it knowing it will be given you.

Luke 22:

24And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

25And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

26But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

27For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

28Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

29And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

30That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

There are times in your life, when great things are happening, moment0us things that change the world, and you are a part of it. Just as the apostles were sitting at the last supper with Jesus, they were tempted to argue amongst themselves, who was the most important. In retrospect, it was the event of that supper and the following days leading to Jesus' crucifixion that was what was most important. They did not understand what Jesus was telling them, did not want to know it and fell into argument over trivialities. Tempation is not just traditional in meaning, it is also forgetfulness or unwillingness, which we are often doing in life. The temptation to forget who and what we truly are, a child of God, is easier, then undertaking the task of remembering and being willing to accept the full responsibilities of the fact of being One with God. And so, meditate upon the "other" meanings of what it is to be tempted.