Here are 5 temptations that are common for women. They're based on sermons from Joel Beeke, but have other thoughts added.
1)Greed
Proverbs 15:27
“He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.”
Luke 12:15
“A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.”
Definition of greed
*Inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs.
*To want more
* A desire for what you don't have
Greed says...
Your life consists in what you have
You are what you possess
More possessions, less relationship
Worship money and get lots of things
In things we trust
Shopping to shop is where we get into danger.
The Bible says...
Your life consists in who you are and how your relationships are---your relationship with God, spouse and family, and friends.
Love God, worship Him and focus on the wellbeing of our family.
In God we trust
Focus more on relationships than on shopping or getting new things.
Spend less time with things and more time with people.
In Christ is everything we need.
Because “things” don't satisfy our inner need, we keep getting more things hoping that the next things will give us a feeling of security.
Illusion of greed
“I want to control my life and the way I do that is by owning things. I want to know they are mine.”
But all these things are empty.
Solution
Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conversation be without covetousness: and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
1 Timothy 6:6
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
*Don't compare yourself to richer, finer people. Instead compare yourself to the Bible's picture of a goldly woman.
*Show generousity.
Think of others before yourself.
Give your best, not your leftovers.
Jesus gave the best He had to the worse He could find. If He is so giving, how can I be so stingy?
Definition of envy
Envy is the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantages and prosperity of others.
Envy...
eats away like cancer
can start out small, but grows.
is contagious.
separates close friends.
can be more powerful than the most powerful friendships.
Is competitive
is judgemental
has a way of recurring
How do you recognize envy?
Some questions to ask yourself...
Do I ever feel pain because of another person's success?
Do I find myself comparing myself with other people who are more successful than I am?
Do I feel I deserve what I'm envious about?
Is any of the gossiping I do motived somehow by envy?
Do I try to avoid seeing another's successes? Do I try to look the other way and ignore it?
Do I feel I want to gain somehow from other people's losses?
Learn from Envy
Don't run away from it! Put it under a microscope and look carefully at what is motivating it.
Envy though sinful, can teach you a great deal about yourself. It can tell you what you are wanting in life. It can be an emotional indicator, showing what you're really thinking. Their can be genuine concerns at the bottom. For example, someone who can't have children may get very envious of those who do. Their real want is for children, which they could maybe get by adopting etc.
How do you conquer Envy?
1)Accept that you have limitations.
We can't have everything, do everything and be everything.
2)Repent of your attitude towards others.
Take your relationship with God and others more seriously than the things you accomplish.
3)Make wise choices.
Since you can't do and be everything, budget your time. Check your priorities. Recognize and use God's gifts.
The real cure for envy...
Find your freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He's the only one who can rebuild you from the inside out. We need to find new tastebuds for new things. We need to find our life in God.
Jesus Christ...
is the opposite of envy
is the most unselfish person
came and laid aside His glory, throne and honour and came and took the lowest place.
was wiling to be punished instead of us
was always trying to give
attitude was not “I want” but “I minister, I give.”
Prayed for others when he was on the cross
If we try to take envy away without letting God take its place, we'll just have a vacuum.
The way to cure all envy is to be completely in love with your Saviour and determine to spend your best energy of your life in lifting Him up.
The more we fall in love with Christ, the more we will fall out of love with envy.
Woman are prone to becoming obsessed with outward things like food and appearance. With food, either being obsessed with how much they weigh and what they eat, or having no self-control with what they eat. And appearance, being obsessed with what they wear and how they look like.
Solution
Let your focus be on the inward man.
Don't become obsessed with outward things, but focus on inward beauty—a meek and quiet spirit.
Be balanced in this area. We should try to be healthy and look nice, but not become overly concerned about it.
Philippians 4:6
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Definition of worry
A certain amount of concern is healthy. We're not to be careless. But we shouldn't worry excessively. It shouldn't control us.
*“Concern” becomes “worry” when we fail to relate the situation that confronts us to the source of sufficiency in God.
*To worry is to assume a responsibility that is not necessarily ours to assume; failing to recognize that God is bigger than any problem we might have, and loves us enough to seek our highest good in the midst of every situation.
*Worry is a form of humanistic self-orientation that thinks, “It's up to me to take care of this situation, and is thus a form of practical atheism, acting as if there is no God to deal with the situation, or that God doesn't know or care about the situation. *Worry is like a rocking chair. It's something to do, but it gets us nowhere.
*Worry is enjoying a crisis before it arrives.
*Worry is enjoying a crisis before it arrives.
1)We shouldn't worry about the unimportant.
Food, drink, appearance etc.
Unbelievers should be extremely worried about their soul. That's important! But believers: God will take care of them. God will supply all our needs if we seek God first.
2)The uncontrollable
We can't control certain things, but we can pray about them.
3)The things that haven't even happened yet
Most of people's worries are about things that could happen. Don't take on tomorrow's problems today.
But we should be concerned about being ready for death.
4)The unknown but promised
Remember and meditate on God's promises.
Solution
Prayer
Prayer goes to the depths. It's not a plaster that just covers the top.
The Reason for Worry
We're not trusting God.
Four Ways to Pray
1)Pray to God
Turn your worry into prayer. Pour out your heart to Him.
2)Pray always.
Pray throughout the day. Worry builds up as prayer goes down. It's like a see-saw.
3)Pray about everything
Small things and big things. Life is made up of small things. Pray specifically.
4)Pray in various ways
With supplication—Pour out your whole heart to God
With thanksgiving---not just a grocery shopping list. Pray with a thankful spirit.
Present your requests to God---not vague, but specific.
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