There is an important principle in handling temptation. Did you know that many times, you can resist temptation? God tells us to submit to Him and then when we resist temptation, it will flee.
Resistance can be a matter of remembering this acronym:
HALTSS
H - are you HUNGRY? If your stomach is rumbling, if you feel weak from not having eaten for a while and you find yourself entertaining ungodly thoughts, go get something to eat. The renewed energy will give you strength to think clearer. If it's healthy food, you will feel even better than devouring a whole pizza.
A - are you ANGRY? Harboring anger makes you susceptible to temptation. I'm not saying anger is always bad. But dwelling on angry feelings and not letting go of things puts you in a precarious position where its easier to say yes to temptation.
L - are you LONELY? Being lonely causes a man to do stupid things. If you find yourself doing things you need not do because you're chasing away loneliness, then find a good male friend and spend some time together praying for each other. In this modern society, you will have a number of friends immediately available by Facebook, cell phone, texting, and/or email .
T - are you TIRED? When you're tired, your resistance to temptation is greatly weakened. If you find yourself tempted to do something sinful, just go to bed. Get some sleep.
S - are you SICK? Take some medication to improve your symptoms. It will increase your resistance to the bug of temptation.
S - are you SAD? Find a good male friend and spend some time praying for each other. Remember that the joy of the LORD is your strength.
This is the principle to handling temptation: submit to God and remember HALTSS
You can't use the excuse, "I just couldn't help myself, after all I'm only human."
God gave you a brain, you're not stupid.
You're not an animal that just reacts.
You can HALTSS temptation...
BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.
This posted was adapted from an article in the Grapevine in 1971
Resistance can be a matter of remembering this acronym:
HALTSS
H - are you HUNGRY? If your stomach is rumbling, if you feel weak from not having eaten for a while and you find yourself entertaining ungodly thoughts, go get something to eat. The renewed energy will give you strength to think clearer. If it's healthy food, you will feel even better than devouring a whole pizza.
A - are you ANGRY? Harboring anger makes you susceptible to temptation. I'm not saying anger is always bad. But dwelling on angry feelings and not letting go of things puts you in a precarious position where its easier to say yes to temptation.
L - are you LONELY? Being lonely causes a man to do stupid things. If you find yourself doing things you need not do because you're chasing away loneliness, then find a good male friend and spend some time together praying for each other. In this modern society, you will have a number of friends immediately available by Facebook, cell phone, texting, and/or email .
T - are you TIRED? When you're tired, your resistance to temptation is greatly weakened. If you find yourself tempted to do something sinful, just go to bed. Get some sleep.
S - are you SICK? Take some medication to improve your symptoms. It will increase your resistance to the bug of temptation.
S - are you SAD? Find a good male friend and spend some time praying for each other. Remember that the joy of the LORD is your strength.
This is the principle to handling temptation: submit to God and remember HALTSS
You can't use the excuse, "I just couldn't help myself, after all I'm only human."
God gave you a brain, you're not stupid.
You're not an animal that just reacts.
You can HALTSS temptation...
BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.
This posted was adapted from an article in the Grapevine in 1971
RSS Feed