MEN: BEWARE OF TEMPTATION

No man sets out to succumb to temptation on purpose. Yet every day we learn of men, Christian men, who fail. Unless a man remains perpetually vigilant, his own evil desires carry him into temptation and sin.

Six temptations men face:

• Emotional neglect. Men are most tempted not to give their wives the thing they desire the most: emotional connection and intimacy; the sharing of yourself at the deepest level, and wanting to know the same level in your spouse. God commanded, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25). The Bible gives no similar instructions to wives because wives are naturally drawn to an intimate love relationship. For men it must be learned.

• Lust. Men become sexually stimulated visually. When a man looks and lusts, that does not mean he no longer loves his wife. He is engaged in temptation - physical and spiritual. We live in a sexually over-stimulated culture in which many men are drained of the spiritual energy needed to expose temptation and the moral energy to resist it. The best way to resist sexual temptation is to flee from it.

• False gods. You can have only one god. Most men try to worship an idol and God. That, too, is impossible. Idolatry is the error of giving worship or homage to any power or object other than God. It's either going to be Jesus Christ or something else. And whatever the something else is, it will never satisfy (e.g. accomplishments, money, pleasure, possessions, power, prestige, or position).

• Money and debt. Men find money intoxicating. Jesus named money as his chief competitor: No one can serve two masters....You cannot serve both God and money (Matt. 6:24). Not only is man tempted to earn more money, but also to borrow more money than he can afford to repay. The temptation is not to love God or money. The temptation is to love them both. To live debt-free within your means, with Jesus as the god of your life, is the goal.

• Whining. The Bible tells of people who grumbled about the sufficiency of God's care. When men see others advancing more rapidly, frequently resentments, jealousies, envy, and bitterness build up. Slights, perceived and real, grind on his ego. The way to overcome the temptation to complain is to accept your lot in life and get on with a positive outlook. Paul said, I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Phil 4:11).

• Pride. Stubborn pride often keeps a man from humbling himself and admitting he's wrong. Temptation to pride comes in many disguises. The most common form is for a man to look down with disdain on others. It is a sin of comparison in which a man compares his [perceived] strength with another's weaknesses. Equally insidious is the temptation for a man to look up in disgust to others who have it better or have accomplished more. Pride can even cause some men to feel they are above talking about "touchy feelings," and so emotionally neglect their wives.