1 Peter 1-2: A Story about Rising Above Temptation

In 1 Peter 1, Peter explains how we should rise above the lusts of the world, saying in verse 14-15: "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust in your ignorance; But as he which called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." We live in a society that is abounding with lusts. Different temptations lurk around almost every corner, and taking part in these has been increasingly seen as acceptable by the world we live in. With all of this going on around us, how can we stay above these temptations so that we can become better followers of Christ, "holy in all manner of conversation?" We discussed a couple of ways in class that we could better do this. 

1. Don't let your mind be idle/blank. If your mind is idle, it is much easier for temptation to come to you or for you to do things that are not entirely beneficial to your spiritual well-being. As we discussed this, I realized that I recently have let my mind be idle, or even wanted it to be. After spending a long day on school work, I get home and browse some time wasting internet sites with the purpose of not having to think about anything at all. Because I allow this to happen, I can give over control for things that are on the internet or thoughts that I don't come up with to occupy my mind instead. 

2. Don't dwell upon/rationalize temptations. The second thing that we discussed that connects to this first point is not to go back and obsess about things that we have been tempted with in our lives. If we do this, we put too much focus on our temptations and might end up trying to rationalize away the temptation. Christ gave us an example of what to do with this when He was faced with the devil's temptations. He did not pause and think about those temptations that Satan presented Him with. He instantly refuted Satan's offers. If we do the same, we will always be stronger than those things that we are tempted with. Initially, as stated in 1 Corinthians 10:13, we are always stronger than our temptations. However, if we let them stick around for too long, we flip this around and may end up giving into temptation. 

3. Be spiritually born again. This point is mentioned in 1 Peter 1:23, where Peter says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible..." If we are truly spiritually reborn, we will have a greater resistance to the temptations that we are faced with in day to day life. 

4. Go back to the basics. This fourth point can be seen in 1 Peter 2:2. Peter states here, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." When we find that we are struggling with temptations, we shouldn't focus on those parts of the gospel that can be more complex and difficult to understand, but we should go back to the basics. By simplifying and going back to the basics of the gospel that we know well, we can form a better foundation on which to stand when facing a temptation that we are struggling with. 

These are just a few of the many suggestions that the scriptures give that can help us deal with temptations in our lives. As society becomes more and more accepting of sin and we are faced with more temptations, even in the bright light of day, following such suggestions can help us to have more success in our efforts to follow Christ's example.