There was a young man, around 16 or 17, who was struggling with sexual sins like pornography and masturbation. He was tempted so strongly that it was as if the Devil himself came each night to tempt him, whispering softly in his ear, keeping him awake until exhaustion and a simple desire to sleep and escape the whispering lead him to give in to temptation. He fought, each night, fought as hard as he could against the temptation and the whispering, fought until his strength gave out and he gave in.
The young man fought, hard and valiantly, but he fought alone, and he realized this. So one night, while he fought, he prayed to God, asking, begging, even pleading for God to take the temptation away, to take the desire away, to help him somehow escape. And it seemed as if God didn't answer, and the young man fought on, and the fight was lost, and he could hear the Devil laughing in his mind as he lost. Over and over and over again, this occurred, until the young man realized, again, that he was fighting alone, for God had not aided him.
He didn't understand at first, so he thought about it more. Why didn't God answer his entreaties? Why does he fight alone? And he decided that he would once more try to pray to God, that night, and if it failed, then he would give in and fight no more.
That night, the temptations came, stronger than ever, and his body was wracked with the desire to give in, his mind reeled under the assault of the Evil One's whispers and prodding. The young man fought, and prayed, and fought and prayed, and finally, his strength gave out at last, and in desperation he did that which he had never done before. He surrendered, but not to temptation, to God. He finally turned to God, and instead of fighting on his own, he said simply, "Let it be done to me according to your will," and he gave up his own interest and will and let go of his reliance on his own strength, so that he might finally cling to God.
You see, God had been trying to help the young man all along. His hand had been extended, as if the man held onto the edge of a cliff, a hair's breadth from falling. But the man was so focused on the struggle to hold onto the edge, he never reached out to grab the hand, and when he prayed, he begged and pleaded for God's aid, but never had the courage to let go of himself in order to accept it. For God does not help us to be strong, God helps us by letting us hold onto His strength. So night after night, the young man fell, until one night he let go, and allowed God to catch him.
This Lent, in the season of prayer, remember the young man, and remember that prayer is about more than asking, it's about surrendering, it's about giving oneself to God. And so, give yourselves....
The young man fought, hard and valiantly, but he fought alone, and he realized this. So one night, while he fought, he prayed to God, asking, begging, even pleading for God to take the temptation away, to take the desire away, to help him somehow escape. And it seemed as if God didn't answer, and the young man fought on, and the fight was lost, and he could hear the Devil laughing in his mind as he lost. Over and over and over again, this occurred, until the young man realized, again, that he was fighting alone, for God had not aided him.
He didn't understand at first, so he thought about it more. Why didn't God answer his entreaties? Why does he fight alone? And he decided that he would once more try to pray to God, that night, and if it failed, then he would give in and fight no more.
That night, the temptations came, stronger than ever, and his body was wracked with the desire to give in, his mind reeled under the assault of the Evil One's whispers and prodding. The young man fought, and prayed, and fought and prayed, and finally, his strength gave out at last, and in desperation he did that which he had never done before. He surrendered, but not to temptation, to God. He finally turned to God, and instead of fighting on his own, he said simply, "Let it be done to me according to your will," and he gave up his own interest and will and let go of his reliance on his own strength, so that he might finally cling to God.
You see, God had been trying to help the young man all along. His hand had been extended, as if the man held onto the edge of a cliff, a hair's breadth from falling. But the man was so focused on the struggle to hold onto the edge, he never reached out to grab the hand, and when he prayed, he begged and pleaded for God's aid, but never had the courage to let go of himself in order to accept it. For God does not help us to be strong, God helps us by letting us hold onto His strength. So night after night, the young man fell, until one night he let go, and allowed God to catch him.
This Lent, in the season of prayer, remember the young man, and remember that prayer is about more than asking, it's about surrendering, it's about giving oneself to God. And so, give yourselves....
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