We are tempted every day of life, some by food, material things, or other pleasures. Even as far back as Biblical times, mankind was given a set of rules with stipulations decreeing that we were not to fall prey to the evils of temptation. Does, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, his ox, his ass, or his wife,” But why are we tempted, why can’t we be satisfied with what we have? Why do we want more, more, more, and especially what does not belong to us?
There you are, a nice decent wife, minding your own business, with not a shred of temptation dangling before you. Then along comes Joe, smooth walking Joe, slow talking Joe who fills your head with all the right words. The old saying is, ‘Whispering sweet nothings in your ears.’ And sweet nothings it is too, for it usually has no substance. But it often works.
For the temptation to work though, it has to be compared to something else. The woman sees the temptation, then she thinks of her spouse. She looks at the temptation, then she looks again at her spouse. She sees excitement in the temptation but boredom and routine in her spouse. The temptation offers her spice, romance, glamour and promise. Her spouse has settled into the domain of the mundane, and she compares. So she does what many people do when faced with these comparisons, she yields.
Men are tempted every day, for the wandering eye is the root of all temptation. A man will have the most beautiful woman, yet he yields to the temptation of the girl next door. Why? Is it the sheer thrill of the conquest and getting away with it, or is it that men are basically weak and are prime candidates for temptation? Men simply cannot say, “Get thee behind me.”
Which man among you can truthfully and honestly say that if you were away in some far off land where nobody knows you and a beautiful woman offers up her charms to you, you’ll rebuff those charms and say, “Go away, I am sorry, I’m a married man, I cannot yield to your temptation!” .
Women are tempted for different reasons, but they are still tempted. For a man it’s mostly visual, a hot sexy, young woman will grab his attention every time. But for a woman, the temptation may stem from her own low feelings, inadequacies and perceived failures. She longs to be loved and protected. She’s also tempted by power, for remember, they do say that power is the greatest aphrodisiac. She may have married her high school sweetheart, but sadly, time has taken its toll on the relationship. Unfortunately, his life went nowhere and she felt cheated and shortchanged. Enter the temptation, her boss. He is everything her husband is not, charming, powerful, self-assured and he can protect her. See the comparison again? That makes the temptation even more attractive.
Women love to hear how nice they are and how lovely they look, and sadly many husbands fail to recognize this after a few years have passed. The first man who comes along and fills this need may tempt her to venture down a road that she normally wouldn’t travel on. She yields.
Temptation is a great evil, and if it wasn’t, there wouldn’t be so many platitudes warning of its dangers. Temptation has to be attractive to be successful. Also, to be tempted can be a
morale booster, as many persons are flattered to be approached by the tempter. “I yielded because I thought that I was past it, but he made me feel alive and desirable again.”
So, when temptation comes knocking, what will be your response? “Get thee behind me,” or “Come, let me yield to thee.”
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