NO TO TEMPTATIONS | KAIROS GLOBAL | SEPTEMBER 2019

Author : Divya Immanuel

Intro: Divya Immanuel talks about how a little child taught her a simple lesson on saying ‘no to temptations’

Temptations come in different forms. It allures us in different ways. And if we do not have the will power then we fall into the trap. It could be as simple as binging on food. We all come across many temptations that hold us back from achieving what we are meant to achieve, because when tempted our focus shifts.

But it's all a matter of saying 'no' to it.

This experience is from a couple of months back when I was interacting with my nephew who was a year old then. We all know that children are inquisitive by nature; as they grow, they explore. They want to see, touch, feel everything that is kept in a room even when thre are restrictions. The restriction here was that he was not supposed to touch the laptop.

The temptation to touch something that is within reach, so easily available is even more than the temptation towards something that is not easily available. A little is enough to make us want more. My nephew was instructed not to touch the laptop but what could he do if it was within reach? Well! Here is what happened.

He went ahead to touch the screen and use the keyboard. I noticed this and called his name. He looked back and continued to work on it. I called out again and told him that he is not supposed to work on the laptop (also in my mind thinking, why is this kept within close reach of this child). He looked at me again and to my surprise, he closed the lid and moved the laptop away from himself. 

This was the only thing needed to get away from the temptation. He said 'no' to it. And he moved on to play. It's just amazing how sometimes children teach us very simple things that we as adults find hard to do. The first step was to say 'no, sorry I am not entertaining you temptation, please go, shut yourself down'.

Many a times we never tell the temptation to go away but we entertain them by asking them to stay. The more we entertain, the more we loose our time and energy. So how do we identify these tempters? The following questions will help us.

1. How good is it for my body, mind and soul?

2. Is it deviating me from my goals for the day/month/year? 

Once identified, say 'No'.

Try it, it works. 

So, is saying No enough and is it so easy?

Abstinence! 

Abstinence for me is not just about meat and bread, fasting is not just about food. Yes, it does hold value when you fast and abstain from food. But when I started understanding the meaning of lent and and how I need to work on my spirituality, I started looking at my own addictions and temptations, lent was the best time to work on it and abstinence was the best way to practice saying ‘No!’ You abstain from things that take your time and keep you away from focusing on God. 

One incident where I realised that it was possible to let go off things is when I was in school (secondary). I had gone for a residential retreat and had forgotten to carry a mirror. This was a time when I used to stand in front of the mirror a lot, trying to look good. I had the opportunity to grab someone else’s mirror during the retreat but it did not happen for four days as we were always in a hurry to get ready. I only realised on the final day that I hadn’t seen myself for 4 days in a row and I was surprised how this could happen. The surprise remained with me. 

While studying for my degree I began to abstain from food (things that I was addicted to having everyday from the canteen) and the 40 days helped me realise that it is possible. I moved on to saying no to movies which I was addicted to watching while I was doing my masters. Soon even that left me when I abstained from it for 40 days. Later came the addiction to checking my phone way too often especially in the night. This time I invited others to join in the abstinence as started as a campaign in FB, few people joined in the campaign. And soon this compulsion also left me. For me 40 days were enough, for some others it might take less or more days. Just like it takes practice and determination to learn something new, it takes practice and determination to say no to temptation. 

Because my nephew still goes and touches the laptop, uses more innovative methods to do so (young and innocent). But while he taught me one method, he explained another too. 

1. Say ‘No’

2. Stick to it. 

I chose the 40 days of Lent so I remember why I was doing this. It was not just a habit change for me, it was more about the awareness of the beauty of things around, awareness of better things in life that I can give time to, awareness of God Himself with whom this journey is easier. 

Please yourself and you might fall into the trap. 

Please God and everything else falls into place 

Divya Immanuel has been actively involved in the Jesus Youth movement for around 15 years and is part of the International Council. She lives in Mumbai, India and works as a School Counsellor.