“Remember, you are dust…” [7]

On Temptation as an Armadillo

Yep, you got it right. Armadillos are ugly, smelly, disgustingly hard-shelled road kill that can be destructive. Once they move in, they’re really hard to get rid of. And, from what I hear from friends in St. Louis, they are moving north out of Texas!!! Ahhhhh! 

Pretty dramatic, eh?

Habitual temptations are like armadillos, especially habitual temptations that we habitually give in to.  Really?

Yes, really.

Especially after giving in to a habitual temptation, one feels disgust, shame, YUCK! Why did I let my self get fooled again? Why wasn’t I strong enough to beat it.

Well, if ya beat an armadillo, it doesn’t damage it, that’s why.  We don’t beat temptation nor does beating an armadillo do any good. (Unless ya hit it with your car on I-70 between St. Louis & Kansas City.)

Here’s the deal: Temptation, like an armadillo has a soft underbelly where it’s really tender & vulnerable.  Imagine picking up your hard-shelled temptation to consider your soft underbelly. In other words, temptations reveal to us exactly what we protect!  If we only have the patience to withhold judgment for just a moment… We can discover the precious & terrible woundedness where we need to receive Mercy & healing.

What if that’s our work during Lent, preparing for The Encounter?