I am umm-ing and ahh-ing about studying a Masters degree in 'Social, emotional and Behavioural Difficulties'. I work in a special needs school for boys with such problems and clearly it is a good choice of continuing professional development.
I was considering as I drove the nature of the boys and their problems and one of the given module titles for the MEd when I came up with one of my analogies/illustrations. The boiling pot on the stove.
Sometimes the lads at my school quite literally need to 'boil over' to let off some pressure. Literally they need to 'pop' as a way of venting the anxieties and frustrations of their lives and normally do so physically and emotionally as they are not equipped to manage such situations and feelings successfully. So the image is of a saucepan of water simmering, then boiling. The boiling of the water becomes more and more violent until it boils up and over the side of the pan. There is a lot of sizzling and foaming. Hot water splashes and any hand near the pan is at risk of getting scalded. The pan is stained and a big wet puddle is left surrounding the pan, which ultimatley has to be mopped up.
Now this pot if not watched carefully can easily boil over again. Certainly you wouldn't fill it up again then walk away from it. Why? Because it'll just boil over again!
To prevent the pan boiling over and making a mess it has to be watched and the flames which heat it have to be controlled to ensure it doesn't get over heated. When the pan is boiling there are things you can do to control it and ensure that it doesn't bubble over. You can turn the heat down, remove some water or take the pan off the hob completely. More specifically you can be more proactive and consider if the pan is big enough and deep enough to be placed on the flame in the first place.
In context with the boys at school - we have to monitor their emotions as they 'simmer'. If they look like they're going to boil over we have to manage the heat (or the antagonist), remove some of the boiling contents (the content of the problem) or if we can remove the 'pan' from the heatsource altogether and place it somewhere it can cool down (take the boiling 'boy' and give him an environment where there is no antagonist to get him boiling again).
Now none of these are easy. They require skill and understanding and most importantly it requires a commitment to keep revisiting that boiling pot and decide quickly which way is best to prevent a 'boil over'. Ultimately I suppose we're trying to teach the 'pan' to monitor itself, the heat that affects it and we try to instil in the pan the ability to remove itself from the heat early.
So how does this apply to the Christian?
The boiling water is sin. We are the pan. The heat is temptation.
Placing oneself knowingly on the heat of temptation we are at risk of allowing the sin in our lives to boil over, making a horrible mess that takes time to mop up. The boiling waters of sin also pose a risk of scalding to anyone close to the pan.
As we try to teach our boys at school to not put themselves on a direct source of heat, should the Christian also not place themselves knowingly in the way of the heat of temptation? We cannot, of course, always avoid heat/temptation but that doesn't abdicate us of our responsibility in trying to spot all potential sources of heat.
We should surely pursue the shade of the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ; the calming, soothing breeze of the Holy Spirit and immerse ourselves in the cooling waters of His Word.
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26: 41
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James 1: 12
"And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Luke 22: 46
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