What's Your Forbidden Fruit?

In yesterday's post, we talked about Satan's tactics of assaulting both our senses and our sensibilities.  In the blink of an eye, mankind was cast into a state of sinfulness because Eve couldn't pass up on the fruit.  Many times I've had very negative feelings toward Eve.  I mean, really, did the fruit look that good?  Did it taste good enough to condemn us all?  It's during those times of accusation that a vision appears in my mind's eye.  I picture a beautiful garden with a large tree in its midst.  Unlike the other trees in the garden, this one bears no fruit.  Instead, dangling in bunches from each and every branch are Hershey's kisses.  Try as I might to resist, the chocolate calls to me, and in my weakness, I snatch a handful and cram them into my mouth.  I snap out of my "vision" to realize that with the right "fruit", I would have done the same thing Eve did.

With that in mind, what's your forbidden fruit?  What's the one thing that pulls you down time and time again?  Is it a food, a habit, a thought process, an addiction or something that you would never admit to anyone?  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:1, Wherefore seeing we alsoare compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay asideevery weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us runwith patience the race that is set before us.  The sin which does so easily beset us?  Sounds like forbidden fruit to me.

Before you get angry with me for prying, allow me to explain why I'm asking.  Yesterday, I reminded you how important it is to know our enemy.  Today, I want to remind you how important it is to know ourselves.  You see, only by being aware of our weaknesses can we hope to protect them.  We need to know which areas are vulnerable to attack so that we can set up a defense.  If the problem area is food, perhaps we need to memorize some verses that deal with that.  If the problem is faulty thinking (like worry), perhaps we need to memorize some verses and start keeping a better record of God's faithfulness.  As I mentioned before, we have the weapons at our disposal, but we're responsible for using them.  

Here's an example.  I've stopped keeping sodas in the house.  Why?  Because if I have them, I drink them.  If I drink them, my health declines and my energy plummets.  When my health deteriorates and my energy's gone, I can't accomplish the things God has called me to do.  By identifying my problem, I've taken the first step to defending myself against it.  I don't buy sodas.  I don't drink sodas.  And I do everything in my power to avoid looking at them in the grocery store.  It's not easy, but it is effective.  I've implemented a similar strategy with chocolate, only not as severe.  My chocolate defense goes like this:  buy one chocolate item at the grocery store (cookies, cake, brownies, etc.) and make it last until the next week's shopping trip.  By knowing I can't replenish "my stash" whenever I want, I'm forced to ration my chocolate out to one small portion a day.  (Now if I could just get Jason to understand the rationing process.)

My point is that we all have forbidden fruits in our lives.  They are the things Satan dangles in front of us when he wants our attention.  They are the things that call to us every waking hour and promise delight that cannot be found elsewhere.  Discover your forbidden fruit.  Explore what it is that tempts you so.  Then search for an adequate defense.  My suggestion would be to start with Bible memorization.  There's a verse for every occasion.