Avoiding Is Better Than Resisting

It is easier to avoid temptation than it is to resist temptation, stated Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy said during a BYU devotional.

“I invite you to think about your greatest temptations and then ponder and pray about what you can do to avoid them in the future, rather than trying to resist them,” he said. “I then invite you to wisely follow through on the avoidance revelation that comes to you.”

Quoting Proverbs 4:14–15, Elder Robbins said, “Enter not into the path of the wicked. … Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”

“The wisdom of Solomon in this passage is to be discovered in the word avoid,” he said. “He had discovered, as all wise people do, one of life’s most helpful guiding principles: it is easier to avoid temptation than it is to resist temptation.”

These thoughts are most true for someone with an addiction. To resist temptation means that we come right up to it and then use all our might to push it back. However, if we avoid that temptation we don’t get anywhere near it.  We stay way far away.

Example: Suppose you find it hard to resist some videos available on YouTube.  If that’s true then perhaps you should avoid going to YouTube and remove all YouTube apps from your devices.

What other things in our lives might we do to completely avoid the temptation rather than trying to resist the temptation?  Let's be honest, how close do we really need to get to the mouse trap?

2 comments:

Unknown said...


So true! I found out once I avoided the temptation it was easier to resist. It was simple concept, but so hard to follow! Thank you for the reminder!

Anonymous said...

such a lovely insight, it is amazing how you contrasted between resist and avoid, thank you for this ,God bless you!