This
passage of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is a well-known one and it
is an important reminder of the daily struggle we face as Christians today.
There is no doubt that at any moment, we can be distracted (tempted) away from
the narrow path Christ is leading us on. These temptations are often much more
subtle than a whispered suggestion to test the Lord by doing something foolish,
but take the form of minor distractions – a neighbours’ loud television during
your quiet time for example, or a mundane household chore seemingly so
important it prevents you from attending church or a home-group one evening.
Even weeks, months, of uneventful routine can close our minds to the presence
of the Lord. In C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, the author (Screwtape the devil)
writes “Some ages are lukewarm and complacent, and then it is our business to
soothe them [humans/Christians] yet faster asleep.”
By
acknowledging God’s presence in all moments of our day, whether through prayer,
reading, quiet contemplation and thanksgiving, we strengthen our minds against
distractions, whether subtle or obvious. Jesus knew he would be tempted as he
went into the desert to fast, and it happened when he was at his weakest – but
even though He was hungry, he remembered that we do not only need physical food
to survive, we also need God’s word in our lives. Our daily, spiritual, bread.
I
pray that in this time of lent, we can all find ways to focus more on the will
of God: by fasting and by prayer, by making a conscious effort every day to
give thanks for all things great and small that happened (tip: keep a
thankful-for list on your phone), by taking time out of our supposedly busy
days to read the Bible or spend time in discussion with our brothers and
sisters, and by serving or giving back to those in need in our city. Amen.
Rudolf Douqué
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