4 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:1-8, KJV).
The Rational Mind
As a human being, your rational mind is always vying for dominance. Many times it drowns out the voice of the Holy Spirit. And since God is sovereign, you need to hear what He wants you to do next.
The Evil One
And that’s exactly what the Evil One doesn’t want you to hear: the voice of God. So as Christian writers, the Evil One messes with your mind and tempts you to write about what you want to write about rather than what God wants you to write about.
Ploys
Evil’s common ploys are temptations concerning money and fame.” Forget God’s goals for your writing, you’ve got to make a living. Certainly, God can understand that.” However, God doesn’t equivocate; He doesn’t let your excuses faze Him. His timetable is absolute, and it’s your job to meet it. God’s knows what He wants you to write and when He wants you to write it.
Fame
With fame, it’s the same. Evil tempts you with obsessive thoughts about success, leading you by the nose away from God’s plan, seducing you into serving yourself rather than serving God. Seductive images flicker through your mind, begging you to embrace fame—not God.
Only Serve God
Jesus’ answer is to only serve God. No negotiations. God is supreme, guiding your life with meticulous perfection, with mathematical precision, and with foremost concern for your spiritual growth. Respect God’s wisdom and moment-to-moment guidance.
Photo Credit: Stock Photo by javax.
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