Learning To Resist

Do not love the world or anything in the world. – 1 John 2:15

I’ve been on many diets over the years. You don’t get a wonderful figure like mine without some effort. (Of course, that’s tongue in cheek.)

I have done the Keto, the Mediterranean, the Scarsdale, and the Weight Watchers diets. You name it, and I’ve done it. I have tried all of those diets over the years to keep the fat off my innermost parts. Some were successful, and some were not very successful at all. But I have to say, my favorite diet is the “seafood diet.” I see food, and I eat it. That's my kind of diet.

One of the things about diets is that you have to learn how to resist; that is a difficult thing to do. I have a good friend who is a pastor in Houston. He and I were talking about diets. He was on a diet where he was jogging every day.

As he was jogging and working out, he would often put a Snickers candy bar on his desk, right in front of his eyes. He would use that as a tool to say, “Snickers bar, you cannot have me.” He would use that to keep sugar on his mind and to help him constantly resist candy. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t. And in the same way, sometimes we are successful when it comes to resisting, and at other times, we are not.

Just as my friend’s candy bar served as a test of his willpower, the world often tempts us with things that pull us away from God. We’re called to live by faith, resisting those things that may seem sweet but lead us down paths that don’t honor Jesus. Scripture says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world" (1 John 2:15), reminding us that loving Jesus means sometimes saying "no" to the things that would distract us.

When we resist temptation, we’re choosing to place our faith in something better—God's promises and His plan for us. And while it isn’t easy, each "no" brings us closer to Jesus, building the strength to live a life that honors Him.