Temptation: Conception, Gestation and Birth

In Bible class yesterday we had a wonderful discussion about temptation (thank you Jen!).  It was one of those classes where the leader introduced a few ideas, then asked us to discuss in small groups a variety of scriptures.  These types of classes can go either way...but this one was excellent.  The key text was from James 1:...

13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

We discussed this verse and many others that deal with the source, outcome, and process of temptation. It was especially rich to me because I've thought about this a bit lately. A friend and I recently faced down a temptation and it has been on my mind since the event. This process of "my own desire" leading to being "dragged away and enticed", then giving "birth to sin" and ultimate death was easily apparent in my memory of the event.  Often it is my own natural and acceptable "desires" that are the seedbed of temptation.  In fact, one of the passages we discussed seems to say this same thing...

7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! Matthew 18

In essence, the seedbed for sin is within our natural desires.  Whether it is a desire for affirmation that leads to pride, for hunger that leads to gluttony, for justice that leads to anger, or for love that leads to lust or... you fill in the desire here.  I know this isn't a new or insightful idea.  We've all thought about it a dozen times in our lives.  But I was touched by the simple revelation that desire preceeds conception.  Then, once conception has occured, it is a long process from there to birth.  May God give each of us grace to this week to deal with our desires at the pre-conception stage rather than allowing them to conceive and go through a long gestation period leading to sin.