“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22
On this Tuesday of Holy Week, the day that Jesus cleared the Temple, this is a good verse to consider. It’s not enough just to turn away from evil desires. We must flee them! We have to, maybe, take a whip to our selfish selves like Jesus did that day.
Run away! Temptation is powerful; do not underestimate its ability to gain a foothold in your mind. Jesus died for our sins, which start in our minds with how we think. Aligning our thinking with the way that God thinks is how we do this process. God created everything, so He understands how life works. And He calls us to ‘re-align’ our thinking by calling us to worship Him on a regular basis. God knows how hard life is. Jesus, God, walked this earth and knew temptations like hunger, exhaustion, anger, despair, pain of body and heart, and more. He felt the very things we feel. He knows how you feel.
That is why He said He and the Father would send the Holy Spirit to guide us each day and through every temptation. The Spirit reminds us to instead pursue: righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Ask Him to fill you with His love and patience, and to give you the strength to live with a pure heart. God is faithful, and will do it, because He loves you.