HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS - 2

[Guest guest]

HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS - 2

Not many of us, however, can withstand the hammer blows of temptations. Many of

us are so weak that we easily succumb to temptation. Often when we do so, we

think that it is only once that we shall yield to temptation, to experience

what it is like. Alas! Once we yield to its appeal and get to relish the

pleasure, we will soon be entangled by sin and will find it difficult to come

out of it. Therefore, beware! Never yield to temptation. But stand up in the

strength of your soul and , in the words of Jesus, say to temptation: "Get thee

behind me, Satan!"

A young man wanted to make one of his companions do something bad just once, and

the companion retorted: Just once? Would you allow your head to be cut off just

once?" Not many have such heroic spirit within them. They easily succumb to

temptation and, to them, sin becomes a habit, until they find that they are

helpless in the face of temptation. They simply cannot resist it. They cannot

live without it. They realise that the consequences are dangerous, but they

feel helpless and lost. They are drawn to temptation even as a frog is drawn to

a snake. When a snake looks at a frog and a frog has met its gaze, the frog

feels helpless. There is a mesmeric power in the look of the serpent which the

frog cannot resist and, irresistibly, the frog is drawn to the mouth of the

snake, drawn to its own death.

St. Augustine, in one of his books tells of a young man names Eutimius. He lived

a life of profligacy. He was sunk in vile pleasures and realised that he was

losing his health, but just could not overcome his sinful habits. After

contracting several diseases, he developed a serious eye infection, and the

physician said to him: "the stage has arrived when either you will have to give

up your evil habits or lose your sight!" Eutimius replied: "what can I do? I

feel helpless. Let me lose my sight and if necessary, even my life, but I

simply cannot give up my habits." Such is the force of habit. Many youths

become slaves of habits with which they do not break off in time.

There was a young man. His father saw him slipping into the vice of impurity.

Immediately, the father took him to a hospital ward where lay patients who had

led immoral lives. There they lay in spasms of pain. At the sight of those

moaning patients, young men who had become prematurely aged, emaciated,

ulcerated, with an unbearable stench, the youth almost fainted. Then his father

said: "These are the consequences of an immoral life, and if you continue on the

road to dispassion, it would not be long before you end up in this hospital.

"The father’s lesson made such an impact on the youth that he immediately

straightened himself out and became an example of temperance to all his

companions.

(-to be continued)

(J.P. Vaswani)

Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya.....

Let prayer become a habit with you.

Pray, pray and continue to pray.

So many of our prayers remain unanswered because we soon grow tired of praying.

We become impatient and lose faith. We feel that as God is not going to act for

us, we must act for ourselves. Alas! We forget that God always acts at the right

time: and if He does not act, it only means that the right time is not yet. This

applies not to material requirements, but also, to mental and spiritual needs.

 

Mail – CNET Editors' Choice 2004. Tell them what you think.