Today’s gospel reading:
“At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him...”—Matthew 4: 1-11
The most common struggles we hear about involve:
Money
Addiction
Loss of faith
Loss of a loved one
Unhealthy relationship(s)
Unhappy/unfulfilled career
Uncertain purpose/meaning in life
Caring too much about what others think
Regardless of the reason, at one point of your life you either have walked or currently may find yourself walking in the desert as you battle to overcome your own personal struggle(s).
Today’s gospel references “the tempter” as the presence that appeared before Jesus at his weakest moment in an effort to distract and derail him from his calling. In applying today’s reading to the modern world, I compare “the tempter” to “vulnerability”. Like the tempter, vulnerability always appears when we are at our weakest. It is precisely in these weak moments that we are easily influenced and “tempted” to make the wrong choice.
We are all desert walkers that have faced or currently face struggle. To make it out of the desert, you need complete clarity of who you are in order to know how to choose between right and wrong. If clarity is an area that you currently struggle with, then surround yourself with people that only offer you unconditional love and support because they will help you ward off all the wrong that vulnerability presents. I call this the “buddy system”.
Today is Sunday March 1, 2020, the start of a brand new amazing month! Make time this week to think about how you can get out or how you can help others get out of the long desert walk.
Many blessings always to you and your entire family.
Edgar J. Guzman
EdgarJGuzman.com