Temptation

10/24/2013

We are surrounded by temptation. It grows with each passing day.

How can I avoid temptation? A life without temptation isn't a life worth living. We are given choices. Choices between work and distraction, knowledge and ignorance, pleasure and pain. You will be tempted to choose the easy path, but the easy path will often leave you with less.

The more you have, the more temptation you will have to confront. The more you give, the less you will be tempted.

Your temptations have been relatively minor up to this point. Part of me wishes it could stay that way. You're going to face some big decisions ahead. You will learn from each one. Regret will be your scar and joy will be your reward.

I want you to remember that it's okay to be tempted. It's what makes life interesting. You mustn't worry about always choosing the correct path. Give yourself the freedom to make mistakes and to learn from them. The truth will confront you eventually. Pay attention when it does.

7 Comments

Author

My name is David. I created FathersWeek.com as a place I could leave a written record for my children - not to provide answers, but to encourage the pursuit of the right questions.

I hope you enjoy the posts and consider participating by sharing your insights and stories.

If you would like to receive automatic updates, just use the "RSS Feed" icon below.

To return to a complete list of stories, click Home.

contact me.

Anonymous

12/2/2013 03:19:41 am

If you want to take a religious approach to this you can also discuss sublimation. The idea is a good one even if you are not religious. It certainly provides a greater deal of meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in life.

David

12/2/2013 04:07:13 am

I would enjoy hearing your perspective on sublimation or any other thoughts you might have on this topic. Thank you for your continued interest.

12/2/2013 06:07:05 am

Sure. Sublimation, in a religious sense, is taking mundane acts and giving them higher purpose. To make that a bit more understandable: one should wear adequate clothing for the sake of modesty (as opposed to personal comfort). One should bathe and stay clean for the sake of interpersonal consideration and human dignity. One should eat and drink and get enough sleep so that he can properly interact with other people and serve God with his full energy. This is the general idea- giving a higher purpose to everyday things in our lives. This gives the things we do greater meaning and purpose in the greater scheme of things. For example, one may be depressed thinking that everything he does is useless since one day he will die, but, if he thinks of the things he does as being for a greater purpose, he will not hesitate to do the right thing or be depressed doing it. This is one of the reasons that I believe that religion is so crucial- it gives purpose to the things we do. Freud used the term "sublimation" to mean ways in which we discharge our violent or sexual urges in a way that is socially acceptable. An example that I once saw for this is a person joining a kickboxing class to get out his violent urges. Though this definition of sublimation is equally correct, it should not be confused with the sublimation of religion. They are very much not the same idea.

12/2/2013 06:29:16 am

I appreciate your thoughtful insights. It has spurred me to read more about sublimation (not in the Freudian sense). I am currently working on a post simply called "Religion". I hope you will stay tuned.

12/2/2013 06:54:12 am

Definitely. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts

5/26/2015 12:49:27 pm

Hi David,
I thought of your blog today, and I realized that it's been a really long time since I'd looked at it, and now I see that it's also been a long time since you've posted anything. Do you have any intention of continuing the blog at some point?
Thanks so much :)

5/26/2015 04:20:28 pm

Hi Anonymous,

Nice to hear from you. I've been thinking about you too. I miss our discussions.

To answer your question, yes I hope to continue posting. Just waiting for the right moment and inspiration. So glad to hear that you are still out there.

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Temptation

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories