Resisting Temptation

As I write, it’s Halloween morning and I’ve just spent a few minutes flipping around the internet as I often do before I jump into some real work. Today, there are self-help articles all over the place on how to resist the temptation to over-eat candy and sweets. It’s one of those days when candy is everywhere. This interests me because I love candy and will most definitely be feeling the urge to enjoy too much of this good thing. Then, I stumbled on this headline: “Think of God, Resist Temptation, Study Shows.” Ooooh… that’s hitting both my candy and my pastor fix. So, I clicked to find this:

“The American Psychological Association suggests in a new study that if you think about God, you'll be more likely to resist temptation when it comes to the Halloween candy. The study, entitled "Divergent Effects of Activating Thoughts of God on Self-Regulation," by Kristin Lauren of the University of Waterloo, Aaron C. Kay and Gra´inne M. Fitzsimons of Duke University, tested 37 undergraduate students. They found that "participants who read a short God-related passage reported greater willingness to resist temptations to achieve a major goal, such as maintaining a healthy weight, finding a long-term relationship or having a successful career. This effect was found only among participants who had previously said they believe an omniscient entity watches over them and notices when they misbehave.”

God reminders can influence the self-regulation not only of believers but of anyone who has a representation of God as a cultural concept, then at least in cultures where God is portrayed as omnipotent and omniscient, reminders of God are likely a persistent and pervasive influence on self-regulation. (goddiscussion.com, Dakota O’Leary)

I’m always intrigued when I see a secular explanation of a spiritual, biblical principle. And as usual, they seem to have gotten some of it right and some of it wrong. First, the wrong. God doesn’t want to be used as a mental, cooping tool to help us achieve our personal goals of weight loss or cholesterol health. He doesn’t want to be relegated as a “reminder” to influence our self-regulation of nasty habits. Instead, he wants to be Lord of all.

But, I do find it interesting that there’s a measure of truth in this article. It shouldn’t surprise us that science and research can be consistent with biblical principles. Think about these words from David in Psalm 119 in light of the APA study:

I have tried hard to find you—
don’t let me wander from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119.11-12 NLT

I love the context of this passage. David has just described why God’s Word is so valuable to his life and he declares his delight in following God’s decrees. But then David says he has tried so hard to find God and doesn’t want to wander from him. I think he knows how quickly he can stray and desperately doesn’t want to lose his intimate connection with God. So, David states the solution—he’ll hide God’s Word in his heart. This will stave off temptation. This will hold back drift and sin.

As a kid, I memorized this verse and many others thinking that Scripture memorization was what it meant to “hide God’s Word in my heart.” What I found was that memorizing Scripture was just a good start. What I was doing was hiding God’s Word in my head. They say that the head is approximately 18 inches physically from the heart; but spiritually, the head can be miles from the heart. I think there is much more to this than a “reminder for self-regulation.”

When Jesus was tempted three times, he used Scripture to refute and rebuke Satan. Think about how vulnerable Jesus was in this situation. He was alone. He was without food. He may have been weary. He was in the discomfort of being in the wilderness for an extended period of time. But, when the most evil of enemies approaches him to deceive and distract him, God’s Word pours from his mouth as if it was part of his personal fabric. It’s interesting…another word for heart is “psyche.” This is someone’s inner most being. What is in the heart cannot be masked or violated. What’s in the heart will be revealed in times of trial and temptation. When Christ was weary, hungry, and tempted by the worst evil imagined, Scripture poured from his heart. It was more than a tactic of self-control; it was a revelation of his true heart. As a result, Jesus was able to walk away from temptation unscathed.

As you continue to read through the New Testament this week, think about the difference between having Scripture in your head and having it in your heart. Remember the verse below from our reading last week. Notice the connection between God’s Word and our inner most being. God desires to change us from the inside out through his Word.  

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  Hebrews 4.12 NLT