I just finished talking to someone who was really struggling with a very strong temptation to go out and use. Over and over again, he kept talking about how he "shouldn't" be having these feelings and thoughts. That if only things were different. Well, one thing that I'm sure of is that if he keeps dealing with things from a "I wish things were…" perspective, instead of a "This is how it is" point of view, that he'll be using by morning if not before. Victory in life starts with worshipping God in spirit and truth (John 4:10). And truth in this case is that the feelings, the temptation is real. All the wishing, the woulda's, shoulda's and coulda's in the world will not change the truth that temptations of all kinds are a fact of life. If Satan tempted Jesus, if he tempted Paul, who are we to think that we will be exempt of these attacks from the pit of hell. At times of temptation, for most, the last thing they need or want is for someone to quote Bible verses to them. It comes down to, "How can I put these Bible principles to work in order to deal with what I'm facing?" Well… ? Let go of pride, make a phone call, and reach out for help. If you do not want to make that call, then deal with the truth that a part of you still wants to ________ (you fill in the blank). ? Tell God how you TRULY feel; He knows what is in your heart anyway. If you cannot talk to a person, begin by being honest with YOURSELF, admit that you want to do it but do not want to deal with the consequences. ? Play the tape all the way out. Do not just fantasize about the "feel good" part; look at the WHOLE TRUTH. Do not fall for Satan's trick of only looking at a part of the deed, think about the pain that WILL COME afterwards. ? THANK the temptation for being there, in truth, it is pointing out an idol that is in your life. Ask God for wisdom, to show you a healthy way to deal with the pain that this idol is (falsely) promising to heal for you. Remember that the Bible tells us that life is choice driven. What will you choose to do when temptation comes your way.

Dealing with Temptation