Human Nature & Divine Creator: Provision, Power, and Pride

A snowday Luke 4 reflection--

When Jesus goes into the wilderness, after John baptizes him, he is full of the Holy Spirit.
As he is in the wilderness, the devil tempts him by targeting 3 specific things that we all as humans are drawn to: provision, power, and pride. Jesus, the same man who as a boy ran to the temple of his Father to learn the scriptures, now full of the Spirit too, combats each temptation with scripture.

What struck me most were those 3 temptations: provision, power, and pride.
1. We as people have a desire to have provisions, for survival and beyond that for comfort. Jesus counters by pointing himself (and throigh reading, us) back to God as the source for humanity's deepest need.
2. We want control- of our lives, of our surpundings, of others even. We want money, power, security, respect, even dominion in our world. Jesus counters by calling himself first and foremost a servant of God, not a king of peoples. Furthermore, he (by extension, we) is to adore in and worship that God.
3. We like to feel proud. We like to show off, to have our egos boksted, to prove what we are really made of when the challenge is set. That isn't in itself sinful, but when we meet challenges for our own glory and pride, it crosses a line. Jesus counters by putting the devil in his place, saying, even commanding, to not test God, the God of all provision, power, and glory.

I don't know about yall, but speaking from my own perspective on myself as well as on observations about humans over the course of history to now, these 3 are huge threads in mankind. Jesus's answer is both to draw on the truth of scripture, and even more than that- to point ourselves back to who God is and who we are. When we establish our place, and reset God in his rightful place of our minds and souls, we can fight temptation.

Life isn't about chasing that need to provide for yourself, for power in the public sphere, or for personal glory and pride.
Life is about remembering-
Who is the Provider (consider the lilies whom he clothes, consider the sparrows whom he feeds, consoder his son's sacrifice for our souls)
Who has all Power (and gives and takes kingdoms at his will acprding to scripture)
Who has all holy Pride and Glory, yet doesn't glorify himself- he alows his creation to adore and glory *him*. His glory is so evident that he has no need to prove himself.

Rest in some of that today. Drive and determination are good things, just keep an eye on what is motivating you- is the world's definition of success, your own, or God's?
If you are lacking motivation in life, reset your gaze on God. Jesus fought temptation with truth, and I suggest we do the same.