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Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” –
Matthew 26:41
A woman saw a bed advertised on TV and decided to buy it. The description for the qualities of the bed impressed her and the price tag seemed alright for her.Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” –
Matthew 26:41
After a few days, she visited the shop that sold the bed to buy it. Instead of a simple trade transaction she was subjected to a long and painful sales pitch. When all was said and done, the price of the bed had grown from the advertised price to a new figure that was nearly four times the price. She realized that the prize of so many items and accessories to make the bed complete had not been included in the advertised price. What she saw as the original face value was not at all the real price of the bed.
Most of us have probably experienced this kind of situation. The price seems unbelievably low going in, and becomes unbelievably high before the process is through.
Unfortunately, that is how *sin* is. From the onset it looks like a little harmless one-off fun so you say to yourself, ‘no one will get hurt, no one will know, it is only this once’. Then, when you get involved, you discover that there are some “hidden” costs involved: you lose your money, you lose your peace of mind, you lose your dignity and much, much more.
Jesus taught us to watch and pray that we do not enter into temptation. Prayer is not only about talking to God but also being spiritually alert to long-term consequences of the things we desire and pursue.
Prayer:
Open my eyes, O Lord, to the true cost of all my desires and actions. Amen.Scriptural Reading:
Matthew 26:36-46
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