The Bad Apple

In many ways, I am a child at heart. G.T. and the Halo Express (the full 7 CD set) live in my car and make a regular rotation through my CD player. Happy Meals are a drive-thru favorite. Labor Day weekend on my round trip drive to the lake, I made multiple stops for the happiest of meals, the Chick-fil-a nugget kids meal. In a beautiful collision of the practical and the destined, my meals contained Veggie Tales CDs. The best of yummy fast food and roadtrip entertainment all in one??  Yes please!

While I flew down 81 and 66, I was listening and learning about temptation from LarryBoy. Who knew a superhero cucumber had so much to teach me? I was so impacted by this CD that I went online and spent a few dollars to buy a used copy of the original DVD. I'd encourage you to do the same (or you can rent it from Netflix if that's your thing.)  I loved that the very basic illustrations of temptation they used for kids are things that are TRULY impacting our lives today. We think of temptation as sex, drugs and rock n roll. But hey! There is so much more that we deal with DAILY!


Temptation is one of the many topics that I had pushed to the back of my mind only to pull out if something was a BIG DEAL. LarryBoy's faithful butler defined temptation as the desire to have or do something you know you should avoid (or the act of influencing by exciting hope). Something you know you should avoid. Not just the BIG DEALS? I know I should avoid taking my shoes off at work. But I want to. I really really do some days. Temptation. Thankfully, I defeat temptation in this situation, mostly. But how many times do we do the things we do not wish to do and not do the things we wish we did? There are other factors to consider, but how much of that is due to simply yielding to temptation? This isn't just about the Ten Commandments. This is about so much more and so much smaller.

Temptation neutralizes you. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the CD/DVD:

"When they keep you from doing what you need to do, they keep you from being who God wants you to be."

"...take over the community by distracting them with play. To enslave them with nonstop fun."

"...irresistibly drawn...and BOY DOES IT LOOK FUN!"

"There's nothing wrong with playing video games, but you've let this video game play you."

The story stresses the point that temptation is something that is best defeated with help from others. At one point, LarryBoy implies he doesn't need any help since he's a super hero. He'd be just fine on his own. That didn't work out so well.  His trusty butler fell into his own temptation even while in the process of helping LarryBoy. Only through working together, being accountable, and confessing our sins (call them what they are, I almost typed "weaknesses") can we be strong.

So I challenge you. Are you fighting the temptations in your life? Or are you living the American dream of going with the flow? Are you being neutralized? "You can't be the super hero God wants you to be if you continue this overindulgence." Be super!!