By Joseph Perry

What tempts you in life to giving in and making the wrong decision?

Jesus was tempted by the devil, but He didn’t give up. We must not allow ourselves to yield to the various temptations that we encounter in life. We are oftentimes tempted by people, places or things.

Just like Adam and Eve, we are sometimes persuaded by others to make a bad decision. Our yielding has put us out and or kept us from receiving what the Lord wanted us to have.

We allow our fleshly desires and various things to attract us. When they do, we will in many cases give up what it took years to build just to have what we desire.

What we must do to stay grounded:

• Stay full of His power. You can make it with the power of God. Jesus did whatever He needed to do in order to stay strong.
• Stay in His word. Read your Bible every day without distractions. Reading your Bible will be the lifeblood of your survival.
• Show who you are. If you have given your life to the Lord, then you are a child of the King. Don’t let anyone tell you who you’re not, because the Lord has already told you that you belong to Him, and you were bought with a price.

During this Lenten season, come closer to the Lord and allow Him to cut away all of the dead stuff, so you can keep going. The temptations of life are coming, but you can’t afford to give in.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Perry is pastor of St. Mark AME Zion Church. Contact him at josephp134@gmail.com.