My Strength & My Shield / psm28:7

3 - Choosing to be Different

So you made it through the night having sworn to God a renewed faith if He would make the devil flee, and He did. God kept His part of the bargain. He sent Satan and his demons back into the darkness where they came from, and now you face a brand new day trying to convince yourself that the entire encounter was simply a dream - something caused by the late night Chinese takeout or that Stephen King thriller you couldn't put down. Only problem is, the takeout was weeks ago, and it's been years since you've actually had time to pick up a book and read - with the exception of when you help out your child who waited too long to read her book, and the report on it's due in how many hours? So you're left with wondering why Satan focused on you. 

Easy enough - he's an opportunist. You don't generally recognize him at first because he's the master of disguises. But within a short time, you come up against something that requires a decision that tests you. If you're lucky, you remember your promise to God - to walk in His way more regularly. If you're like me, you stumble your way through the decision, wanting the results to go one way, while your spirit tells you it needs to go the other way. The test is presented, and now it's up to you to choose. Darn that free will. Do you give in to what you want, or do you do what you know is right in God's eyes? Hmmm... God or the world? It's a no-brainer really. 

I could say we choose God's will all the time, but we know far too well that the line really falls somewhere in between the two. Sometimes, we pacify our temptations with a small taste. Sometimes we take a big bite out of it, filling our face. Boy is it sweet like honey... at least until the bitter consequences of our choice kicks in, and we regret we didn't chose more wisely. 

Other times, by the grace of God, we actually choose the right thing. We choose to be holy because our God is holy. That doesn't mean it always feels good afterwards. But it does mean that we won't have to live with pain or guilt, consequences or remorse for falling into temptations. (Notice it's plural. This isn't going to be a once in a lifetime event.) Temptation is a very real part of human existence that we have yet to master - that we will never master - though it gets easier the closer you move to God. 

But no matter how many times we succeed or fail, success is easier to swallow in the long run even when the world around us laughs and looks upon us as failures because we've chosen to be different. 

Screw the world. What do I care? I'm just an alien here. 

When the devil had finished all of this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13) 

But as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16)