Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

— James 1:14

Temptations are thoughts. We see things or people that appeal to us, and we want them for ourselves, even though we know that would be wrong.Humans will always have sensations of desire, and we really can’t be responsible for those initial impressions. For example, I am a heterosexual male. When I see a beautiful woman, my first impression is “Wow, she is really a knockout!” That is a natural response. To stop having such a sensation would probably require that I be struck blind.After that initial impression, though, I am responsible for my thoughts. Those thoughts may lead toward temptation and evil. To think, “Wow, it would be a dream come true to get together with her,” for example, is not just an initial impression. That would be an evil thought leading to sin. Jesus said that “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). That is very easy to do. And it is sin.Every day, we see things or persons that can tempt us. It can happen when you see a car, or a house, or a person, or pretty much anything you might desire. But when we move from an instinctive first impression to a conscious thought of wrongful desire, we sin. And God is not to blame for that. God makes beautiful things, but the desire is ours— and ours to control.

O God, keep us from temptation, deliver us from evil, and forgive us our sins. By your Spirit’s work in us, help us to control our thoughts, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.