Dedicating ourselves to God is a joyous, expansive, and satisfying way of life. And that dedication demands the spiritual consistency to face down temptations with honesty and dominion—and joy, which is given to us by God.
Resisting temptation takes a special alertness, especially when we feel the press of society suggesting that a particular wrong course of action is acceptable. Recreational drug use, preoccupation with sex, fascination with death, and the swamp of alcohol dependency tend to obscure the essential role of moral sensibility in the progress of civilization. Even if we see the broader need for a society based on common moral values, we may be tempted to believe that a momentary lapse in our own standard would not make that much difference. But justifying an act of self-indulgence not only postpones our enjoyment of the real satisfaction of life in Spirit; it hides the significance of what we each have to give.
We can feel the joy that only
God can give.
