Monday May 5, 2008: Acts 19:1-8; John 16:29-33

Jesus Christ does not deceive his followers that everything will be easy after they receive the Holy Spirit. Even though the Holy Spirit will be a helper to them, they will still face troubles in this world. The invitation to Christians faced with these troubles is to have courage. Christians are not to give in to the troubles and challenges of this world. Every true Christian needs courage to be able to face persecutions. These persecutions sometimes come from the people closest to you. These people may be fellow Christians who are weak in their own faith. These temptations always come in subtle ways. Have friends mocked you because you are still a virgin? Have you been called a weakling because you did not fight back one who has hurt you? Have your friends laughed at you because you did not get drunk at the party? Were you considered stupid because you did not lie to cut a deal? These are all temptations. Jesus did not succumb to the temptations of Satan and he wants us all to hold firm to our Christian values.


What are your own temptations? Are you courageous enough to resist them?