- Where We're One
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- HALT
Introduction:
Hey hey!
How's it going, my friend?
I feel really good over here, excited to share this moment with someone as awesome as you.
It's truly an honour that I'll always cherish.
So, thanks for being the reason I feel this way.
You're well appreciated.
I hope that by the end of our time here today, all we've shared would make you feel just as good as you make me feel.
Cheers to an amazing weekend!
Discussion:
To tempt is to entice or incite someone in a way that causes them to act in ways that lead to negative outcomes.
Which is why everyone wants to avoid temptations, so that they don't have to suffer these consequences.
Yet, time and again we fail, because our temptations usually test our weaknesses, the parts of us that easily give in.
Now we're faced with the challenge of having to live with these sometimes dire consequences, for which we are unprepared.
Which leads us to ask the questions “How do we rise above our temptations?” “How do we bring this lack of self control to a halt?”
■ HALT - The Acronym
It's difficult to resist temptations because they exploit our weaknesses.
Which implies that overcoming them requires us to first recognize the situations where we're most susceptible.
Thus, for the purpose of this discussion, let’s examine four of such situations encapsulated by the acronym HALT, where each letter represents the following;
▪︎ H - Hunger
The temptation to trade truth for his next meal confronts the hungry man, as he struggles to choose between holding fast to his integrity and easing his empty stomach.
Yet this hunger goes beyond just the need for food.
When faced with desperate want and scarce options, temptation challenges our principles, often causing many to give in, finding reasons to rationalize their actions.
However, in other instances, this hunger is self-inflicted; not born of true need but from indulging our appetites, exposing ourselves to the very things that appeal to us.
Here, it's the pull of these exposures that create an intense hunger that overwhelms us, leading us to yield to temptations we would normally resist
▪︎ A - Anger
If someone triggers us into an overreaction, the circumstances building up to our loss of control becomes less significant.
The only thing that'll matter is what we've done.
Anger sets the stage for vengeance to lure us into actions that carry profound consequences, potentially altering the trajectory of our lives.
It clouds judgment, so that we do things that we'd go on to regret when we're calm.
Yet in that heat of the moment, words have been spoken and actions taken that have already impacted relationships, making reconciliation difficult.
Such is how anger exposes us.
▪︎ L - Loneliness
In moments of loneliness, we may act impulsively out of boredom, leading to irrational choices.
In our pursuit of connection, we sometimes engage with people whose lifestyles draw us toward vices, pulling us into unhealthy habits that set us back.
At other times, loneliness breeds idleness, leaving us to linger in our thoughts, crafting harmful fantasies we may act upon.
The void of loneliness makes us vulnerable to temptation, as we may return to situations we previously left behind for our well being, simply because we feel there are no better alternatives.
This isn't supposed to be.
▪︎ T - Tiredness
When our efforts seem fruitless, frustration can make us susceptible to shortcuts that promise quick results, as we make our decisions without weighing their consequences.
Exhaustion from ongoing challenges can tempt us to take risky paths to escape our circumstances.
This can lead to significant repercussions.
When tiredness manifests as mental fatigue, it clouds our judgment, pushing us to make decisions driven by a desperate need for instant relief, without considering the long term impact.
■ Halt - The Action
To bring something to a halt, is to put it to a stop.
The purpose of identifying situations where we’re likely to be tempted isn’t merely to recognize them, but to empower us to bring our lack of self control to a halt.
When we say that it takes discipline to show self control, that's only describing it without explaining what it entails.
Firstly, most of our discipline is simply avoiding those situations that test our resolve, keeping minimal contact.
It doesn't help to always expose ourselves to our weaknesses, when we're yet to adapt the disciplined habits that'll make them begin to look unappealing to us.
Discipline like a muscle is developed not by sheer force or drive but by gradually learning new habits to replace old ones, unlearning them in that process.
So until we do that, the best way to resist temptation is to keep our distance not by trying to fight it.
We also show discipline in our thoughts.
Before we take any action, we first conceive it in our heads, deliberating on how to go about it.
Yet, the moment we do this, we immediately give our temptations the chance to grip us.
To discipline our thoughts is to immediately dismiss ideas we know will lead to damning consequences, rather than linger on them.
Another way we encourage self control is to consistently remind ourselves of the consequences of yielding to temptation.
By highlighting the heavy long term costs against the fleeting short term gains, most temptations naturally become unattractive.
■ Rising From Our Mistakes
It's not every mistake that has the same impact, some are more costly than others.
Some hurt us for a short time, others forever, as we in one moment of excitement or rage take actions that make us wish we could turn back the hands of time.
Sadly, that's no longer possible, but something else is.
Our redemption.
We don't have to perpetually live in regret when we can offer ourselves forgiveness as a way of rising from our ruin, moving on from it.
When we continue to beat ourselves up, we miss out on the opportunity to pick up our broken pieces, making something beautiful out of them.
We all have our weaknesses and we should give ourselves the grace to learn from our mistakes, evolving from them.
While we can't change the past we can use today to work on ourselves, creating a better version of ourselves in that process.
By doing so, we give meaning to the consequences we suffered, as this version of us is well equipped to teach others from everything we've experienced.
■ Help In The Face Of Temptation
Having someone who understands the challenges we face in handling our weaknesses is a true gift.
Someone who provides wise counsel on how to navigate them effectively without giving in.
Someone who cares enough to listen when we falter and supports us through our recovery without casting judgment.
Someone who gently guides us toward turning over a new leaf.
Well, that person is a friend or family that loves us deeply, the ones that we share a strong bond of intimacy with.
They are the ones who offer us the closest thing to this kind of support for our weaknesses.
Yet, their help pales in comparison to the divine guidance we receive from God when we open our lives to Him, sharing an intimacy that allows us to share everything with Him.
This is the support we all truly need, and He's waiting to offer it.
All we have to do is believe as that's the first and most important step.
Summary:
It's been a good time hanging out here with you my friend.
Let's do this again next weekend!
Master Apprentice.