The beauty of temptation

The seductive Venus Flytrap...

During Lent many Christians try to give up something in an effort to be deprived of some unessential habit or luxury. It is in part, linked with the ability to resist temptation. Throughout history temptation is portrayed as something wicked and nasty(perhaps that's too strong!).

However, the uncomfortable truth is that temptation by its very nature is beautiful and attractive. Temptation seduces us into its trap with the allure of flirtation with the goals of necessity, of fulfilment, of life. To see temptation as anything other than attractive is to miss the point and to fall into the trap of self-denial.

After all if temptation was not attractive we wouldn't be interested and life would be so much easier! Being sufficiently aware of the seductive beauty of temptation will in part give us the insight to know that it is flirting with us, dancing with us, stroking the 'arousable' areas of our life. Mastering temptation is to acknowledge it head-on and thereby to be in control of it and not it of us! So what are the temptations I need to acknowledge and master? A challenge this Lent.