Rel 211- week 1

One thing that kept running through my mind this past week was when Jesus was tempted in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. Jesus had fasted for 40 days and then he was tempted. What I kept thinking about was how Jesus not only taught us about how to deal with temptations, but more importantly, He actually dealt with them himself. To me, this is important, as life can be overwhelming at times. As a mom of four; a full-time employee; while I am completing school, I know I have days (or weeks) where I may feel overwhelmed. I recently experienced one of those days. On this day, everything seemed to come due at the same time. All of my children needed me at some point during the day. I had multiple work deadlines coming due and I truly felt like I was "losing" everywhere I looked. By the end of that long day, I was both very frustrated and quite physically exhausted. My first instinct, as many people do, was simply to go at it head on and hope for the best. But a few hours later, once things had quieted down a bit, I stopped and prayed a little, read a little. It wasn't anything earth-shattering; however, it gave me a sense of calm. It reminded me that I don't have to do this all by myself.

For me, this experience made this principle much more real than before. Christ knows firsthand what it is like to struggle. He knows what it is like to be weary, to be tested, to be worn down. For me, this makes His understanding of my struggles feel far less abstract and more accessible, and much closer. This makes it easier for me to remember that He is someone I can run to for help and understanding. I also realized something else today, when He was tempted, He used scripture to respond to each temptation. Something I would like to become more intentional about doing, too. Rather than fighting through difficult moments in my life without taking a moment to pause and seek God's direction, I would like to take an opportunity to stop, reflect on scripture and lean upon Him more. Honestly, this has given me so much peace. It reminds me that regardless of how heavy life may feel at times, I am never walking it alone. And with that knowledge, I am able to find a little more strength to continue moving forward.