Reshaping It All by Candace Bure

Author:Candace Bure
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Published: 2010-01-09T20:00:00+00:00

1. Avoid trouble when you know it's lurking around.

2. Pretend that you're brave even if you're not.

3. Find a buddy who will stand by your side.

Instead of conquering bullies, we need to focus on conquering thoughts since harassment travels through our brain before settling in. We can't change the world, but we can change the way we react to it. Neither words nor people can affect us without our thought pattern allowing them. Temptation acts much the same way. It's a smell, a sound, or a visual cue that travels through our thoughts before it becomes a desire.

Now let's consider the question, What's tempting you? Take one look in your refrigerator or pantry, and you might find the answer. Is it a pie? A chocolate bar? A bag of chips? French bread? Soda pop? Every time you walk into the kitchen and open the door, you see it. Sure you'll say "no." And the next time you walk into the kitchen, you'll say "no" again. And the next time, and the next . . . until you finally break down, pick up the pie and cut a thick slice.

James 1:14 tells us, "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed" (KJV). I could imagine that verse referring to a drunk sitting in a bar lusting for the next drink. His clothing is torn and well worn; his beard is unshaven. His hand trembles while he holds it down with the other. He looks nothing like me, but one look in the mirror tells me I'm wrong. Temptation lurks at our doorstep no matter how polished it is.

Webster's Dictionary defines enticed this way: "To attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire. Tempt."

It's no wonder we food lovers struggle to keep our hands off the munchies. The constant lure we present ourselves with wears us down. If we set out to make change in hopes of achieving success, we must also redesign our surroundings to ensure it.

Willpower gets us off to a great start, but temptations like "Betcha can't eat just one!" can eventually wear us down. "Out of sight, out of mind" is a proven fact when it comes to eating. The less temptation we face, the less we'll give in to it, so just as we handle our bullies—keep the junk out of sight and out of reach. Some people go as far as freezing their charge cards inside a block of ice so they are less likely to use them. Without the ease of availability, we don't give spending a second thought. By the time we thaw the block of ice, temptation has fled, and we can then ask, "Do I really need this or not?"

The same rings true for those things that are good for us. If you wash fruit and put it out where your family will see it, they're more likely to grab a piece here and there. You may even want to nudge the bowl in their direction every so often.

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