POWER TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION

A six-year-old girl came to her mother one day and solemnly asked, "If I do something wrong, isn't it enough to ask God to forgive me?" Her mother carefully explained that if she had offended someone else, she should also ask that person to forgive her.

The little girl turned around and slowly went to her room. A short while later she returned, deep in thought, and asked, "Mommy, what if the person won't forgive me?" Her mother reassured her that if she were truly sorry for what she had done, she would certainly be forgiven.

Again the little girl turned and walked to her room. About ten minutes later, she returned and slowly explained: "I didn't lie to grandma, and I didn't lie to my brother, but I lied to you." Her mother asked, " How did you lie to me?" " Three nights ago when I came into your room, you asked me if I had a nightmare because you said I could only sleep with you and Daddy if I had a nightmare. I told you that I did-but I didn't.

" The next morning when everyone asked me what the nightmare was, I had to make one up." By this time she was in tears, and her eleven-year-old brother walked into the room,wondering what she was crying about.

After the mother explained, the little girl asked her brother, " Don't you ever lie?" He replied, "Yes. When I was your age, I did." In surprise she asked, " Haven't you lied since?" His emphatic answer becomes extremely significant in the light of our need to build responses to overcome temptation.

"No. It's just not worth it! If you lie, you have to go back and tell the truth anyway, and then ask forgiveness, and it's just not worth it!"