Every person in his life has ever been subjected to one or another temptation, regardless of age, gender or religious beliefs. Let's try to find out what it is, what is their nature and how they threaten a person. We'll also talk about how to resist temptation.
Meaning of the word
Are you interested? So what is temptation? This concept is most often closely connected with the religious and moral and ethical principles of a person. Temptations are, first of all, a test of a person by his own moral and religious convictions. This is a test of his faith. Temptations are an inducement to sin, to the forbidden, to betray one's principles and ideals. This is anti-religious behavior. For a non-religious, but conscientious person, the temptation to go against his conscience, against certain social norms of behavior, will more often be taken for such. The meaning of the word "temptation" in most cases is negative. There are very few positive ones, and they hardly exist. Now you know what the word "temptation" means.
Examples
The brightest illustrations of temptations wewe can find in certain sacred religious books. Probably a lot of people know about them. Perhaps the most famous examples would be the temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, as well as Jesus Christ by the devil in the wilderness. If in the first case people violated the prohibition of God, for which they were expelled from paradise and became mortal and subject to sin, then in the second case, God himself, being in a human body, was tempted by Satan as a mere mortal and withstood the test with honor, thereby showing that a person needs to fight against temptations. Examples are present in other religious teachings. So, according to Buddhism, the god of death Mara tempted Buddha.
Temptations come from…
Those who are not religious often claim that a person succumbs to temptations only due to certain coincidences in life. That it is life itself that makes a person drown out his conscience, steal, circumvent the law, commit adultery … but you never know there are various temptations! A religious person will say that some “dark forces” are behind the temptations. It is they who tempt. For each person, his own temptations are selected, aimed at what a person is most susceptible to. Temptations come from Satan, but are allowed by God, in order for a person to once again be convinced of his weakness, the need to constantly be with God, the need for God's help.
What are the temptations
Let's talk about them briefly. Almost all kinds of temptations are aimed at supporting the "externalman" in the fight against the "inner man": the temptation of civilization, power, we alth, fame, "exclusivity". There are a lot of them … But do not confuse all these types of temptations with trials that the Lord sends to people. Because, as we have already said, they do not come from God, but with His connivance.
Why a person gives in to temptations
Man is inherently weak and fickle. Throughout his life, he changes every now and then, and if he does not change, then he necessarily corrects his life views and principles. This process is influenced by a variety of things, people, situations. From the books you read to the actions of your friends. From the behavior of relatives and friends to terrible life losses. And temptations… it is often for a person also an opportunity to learn something new, unknown. Find out what he had only heard about, maybe seen, but did not do. Yes, he knows that in theory this is bad, but what is it like in practice? After all, a person is also very curious … The forbidden is almost always seductive and attractive. It penetrates the consciousness of a person most often when in him (on purpose or not) goodness and morality begin to dominate everywhere. Man's temptations want to lead him astray and prove his weakness once again.
A Brief History
Man has been tempted from time immemorial. Throughout the existence of homo sapiens, that is, a reasonable person, man has been, is and will be subject to temptations. That is his nature. History knows examples of temptation not onlyindividuals, but even entire peoples and countries. When one country with its population almost entirely supports the idea of supremacy and supremacy, superiority over the rest. In the Middle Ages, the rulers were also tempted by their power: it was easy to burn a person at the stake just because he somehow did not please those in power. In the days of the Ancient World, rulers fought wars out of their pride and vanity, tempted by the same power and we alth and position. And in our time, as we can see, almost nothing has changed.
Remember our favorite books…
Examples of temptation can be found in almost every literary work. These are, for example, "Faust" by Goethe, "The Master and Margarita" by Bulgakov, "The Thorn Birds" by Colleen McCullough and many others. Very often, temptations are the reason for the beginning of the plot and the further development of events. When reading books that contain the theme of temptations, the reader often thinks about his own life, rethinks it and draws certain conclusions.
What are the temptations of modern man
The modern world is a dynamically developing organism, but with its old, even ancient, diseases. Diseases that in the new century grow with renewed vigor, sometimes in a new guise for themselves. And there are many reasons for that. This is an increased faith in the power of man himself, in the invincibility and infallibility of science, a departure from morality, a disdain for the lessons of history, the covenants of ancestors, traditions, this is a radical revision of the life and traditional foundations of society inside of material we alth. Modern man remains subject to all those temptations that existed before, but with all the dynamism of the world, others, previously unknown, have also developed for man. Which, however, are once again aimed at the same goal: to eclipse the spiritual, to separate a person from God. Therefore, the meaning of the word "temptation" is relevant at all times.
Benefits of civilization
The emergence of such benefits of civilization as cellular communications, the Internet and the like, in addition to various indisputable positive and useful properties, also has negative properties. And if we politely bypass the former in this article, then we will definitely focus our attention on the latter.
It's hard not to notice them. Modern man is already so accustomed to the Internet and a mobile phone that he cannot imagine his existence without them, as he once did without going to Sunday service every week or without reading some entertaining book at night. You can answer that prayers can easily be found on the Internet and you can read them yourself; Actually, like an entertaining book. Yes, and everything else … Here you have social networks, where all your friends are in one place at once, and all directories, all information … Here you have a bunch of forbidden materials that you can’t find so easily without the Internet … Well, how not to look at them if everything is nearby, everything is at hand? But it is worth imagining, at least for a moment, what will happen to the present person if the Internet is taken from him and turned off. How long will he last? If a person is taken awaycellular? Will he remember how to do without them, without these benefits? Will he, on occasion, be prepared to give up many of the comforts that civilization offers? It is these blessings that produce laziness in a person. It's worth considering … Sitting at the office at the computer and lazily clicking the computer mouse is called work. Very often, such a person becomes simply unusual or too lazy to even go for a run in order to somehow stretch his body. In a word, the temptation of the new age appears. The temptation of civilization, easy life and quick profit.
Temptation is for all ages…
No matter what age a person is, temptations haunt him. Let's take a child as an example first. It would seem that a baby is a creature that does not yet have its own position in life; which only on an intuitive level distinguishes between good and evil … But he is also subject to temptations! Let's say his parents forbade him to eat more sweets than he should. But the child wants. And he, thinking that “if you can’t, but you really want to, then you can,” climbed into the closet and took them without asking, while the parents did not see. Yes, after that he will make guilty tearful eyes, say that “it won’t happen again”, but … the temptation to eat sweets turned out to be higher than the fear of violating parental prohibition.
Next, let's take a girl of high moral principles as an example. Who knows perfectly well how she should behave in society, according to the norms of morality and etiquette. But here's the paradox: for some reason, at one fine moment, she does the opposite. And not even to herselfable to explain why … What is called, "the devil beguiled." Also, sometimes a man, say, forty years old, once an exemplary family man and a wonderful person, a reliable friend … but who suddenly left his wife and children for a completely strange woman, whom he barely knows, cannot explain his behavior either. It is worth adding that in old age a person certainly has his own temptations.
Fighting temptations
As already mentioned, man is weak by nature. That is why he allows temptations to approach him at such a close distance from which they can hit him with precision. And hit. To fight them, we need, first of all, strong unshakable principles and faith. Someone believes in God, someone in his conscience. Unbelievers can be advised to be afraid of the law, to know that sooner or later they will have to answer to their conscience or state law. And believers… And believers in moments of temptation should pray hard and ask for help from the one who is tempted and allows them not to forget about him and his strength, which is what the tempters are longing for. Well, no one changed the fear of the Creator and the Last Judgment either. So let's think about the issue of temptations and be more careful in our thoughts, words and actions henceforth. Be prudent. Man's temptations are some kind of test that must be endured with your head held high.
Do not forget also that temptations can meet a person at every turn, from minor to global. To give in to temptation is to make a huge mistake. Therefore, may your conscience always be clear. God bless youfrom all sorts of troubles and temptations!
