Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:He will give his angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.
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Notice how courage was on display during Christ’s time of temptation. Where in your life are you prone to indulgence? How can you take a step toward contentment this week?
Each week we are focusing on a different classical virtue, a habit of excellent character, and exploring what small steps you can take today to cultivate that virtue in your life. This week, we are looking at the virtue of fortitude, or courage. Fortitude is saying “yes” to what is right and good, especially when you really want to say “no.” It is the active, other-side-of-the-coin to temperance. Fortitude is doing the right thing even when the wrong thing is easier. It is going against the grain and swimming upstream to do what God wants us to.
One way to cultivate the virtue of fortitude is to notice the moment in your day when you are most prone to do what is easy instead of what is hard and right. Perhaps that is speaking up when you or someone else is being mistreated. Perhaps that is naming when you are wrong and asking for forgiveness. Perhaps that is staying silent or changing the conversation when people around you are gossiping about others. Make a plan to take a small step of courage today.
Jesus, grant me the courage that you showed in the wilderness. Guard me from indulgence and lead me into true contentment in you.
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.