[Friday's Devotional] - T is for Tired

In this final part of our five part series exploring the HALT principle (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired), we will look at how tiredness can make us vulnerable to sin.

 

Tiredness (like Hunger) can easily make us bad tempered.  In my family, arguments can easily start and become irrational when people are tired and things are said that should not have been said.  In fact, we have recognised this and we have a rule that can be invoked to stop the arguments late at night. “I invoke the 10 o’clock rule!” means it is time to stop arguing and make plans to continue the discussion the following day when we are less tired.

 

The Bible has plenty of examples of where tiredness can lead to vulnerability to sin.  For example Saul’s men “exhausted” after a battle could not be bothered to prepare their dinner properly and sinned against the Lord by eating meat full of blood (1 Samuel 31-35), both tiredness and hunger working together and leading to sin.

 

Jesus found the disciples “exhausted from sorrow” and told them to “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation”.   Peter then goes on to lie and disown Jesus in the early hours of morning (Luke 22: 45-46, 57-62).  As mentioned in the first part of this series, Samson could not keep his God-given secret and told everything to Delilah when he was “tired to death” (Judges 16:15-16).

 

We also see from the bible some important lessons in dealing with tiredness.   Moses, for example, found the Israelites were winning a battle as long as he kept his hands raised, when Moses hands grew tired his friends got a stone for him to sit on and they held his hands up for him (Exodus 17:10-13).  This was God’s way of showing Moses he could not do everything on his own.

 

In the following Chapter (Exodus 18) we see how God sends Jethro to advise Moses to appoint some Judges to help manage the situation (Exodus 18:17-24).  We need to recognise there are times when we need support others in their “tiredness” and times we need to ask for support ourselves.  Do you need to offer support to someone today?  Or do you need to “swallow your pride” and ask for support today?  Or perhaps instead of watching TV late into the night you need to go to bed early?

 

In conclusion, over the past five days we have explored the HALT Principle and how being Hungry, Angry, Lonely and/or Tired can make us vulnerable to sin.  The roots of this principle come from good advice about times when not to drink alcohol.  But as we go through each day we must “STOP and think HALT”, we should ask “Are we making ourselves or others vulnerable to sin?”  So as Jesus said “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:46), only through prayer we can ask the “(Holy) Spirit to help us in our weakness” (Romans 8:26).

 

Richard Wilding
(originally published in 2007)

[Thursday's Devotional] - L is for Lonely

The third area to explore from the HALT principle (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) is Lonely.  Loneliness if we are not careful can make us vulnerable.

 

The story of David and Bathsheba is an example of how loneliness can lead to sin (2 Samuel 11: 1-5).  David was lonely, it was the time when kings went off to war, he was the king and a warrior but he stayed at home on his own.  Bathsheba was lonely, she was at home looking after the house; her husband was away on the king’s business.  This was a recipe for disaster, two lonely people.  David sent the invitation and “She came to him and he slept with her” (2 Samuel 11:4).  It would seem both parties were willing.

 

Paul also provides insights of how loneliness can lead to sin in his advice to young widows (1 Timothy 5:11-15) advising them they may “become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to”.

 

Simon and Garfunkels hit song “The Boxer” also recognizes loneliness as a source of temptation.  The lyrics say “Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh avenue.  I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome, I took some comfort there”

 

The issue is we can be surrounded by people and still be lonely.  For example, the mother looking after young children all day needing adult company.  The man in the office working hard, but focused on the job and not relating to anyone.

 

In my work, where I travel extensively, there can be times when I can feel lonely.  I recognize this can be a time of vulnerability.  I have to make practical steps to protect myself including regular telephone calls to home, turning off the television if things are getting risqué or inappropriate and spending time praying and reading my bible.

 

We not only need to protect ourselves but we also need to protect others.  Is there someone you should call who may be lonely?  Help protect them from being vulnerable by remembering them in your prayers.

 

Richard Wilding
(originally published in 2007)

[Wednesday's Devotional] - A is for Angry

The second area to explore from the HALT principle (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) is Angry. 

 

The bible is full of examples of anger leading to sin.  Cain became “angry” with God and decided to take it out on his brother Abel by killing him (Genesis 4:5-8); Jacob became “angry” with Rachel and ended up committing adultery with her maid servant in order to start a family (Genesis 30:1-4).

 

Jonah (or should we call him Mr Angry!) became so angry he said “I am angry enough to die”! (Jonah 4:1-9).   Paul in his anger said something he should not have said to the High Priest and spent time apologising for this (Acts 23:3-5, Acts 24:21).   These are just a few examples of many where Anger leads to sin.

 

The bible tells us that “Anger resides in the lap of fools” Ecclesiastes 7:9 [NIV] and “the quick tempered display folly”  Proverbs 14:20 [NIV]. 

 

Jesus then tells us “Anyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgement” Matthew 5:22 [NIV].  It is worth reminding ourselves of these verses next time we feel anger building up.   But the most important strategy is outlined by Paul in Ephesians, it simply states:

 

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.  Ephesians 4:26-27 [NIV]

 

I have always tried to keep the rule of never going to bed angry with my family, this often means apologising late at night.  The times I have not done this I have come under “judgement”, this generally is in the form of a very sleepless night and the difficult day that follows.  By developing patience and managing our Anger we can stop the link between Anger and Tiredness which then creates a ‘foothold’ for more sin!

 

Richard Wilding
(originally published in 2007)

[Tuesday's Devotional] - H is for Hungry

The first area to explore from the HALT principle (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) is the Hungry element.  

 

From an early age a child will scream and become bad-tempered when Hungry.  As adults we have more control than this, but does this feeling ever really leave us?   In my family there are times when arguments develop and can escalate out of control, and it is not uncommon for this to be before lunch time or tea time.   Hungry can lead to Angry and then to sin. 

 

When we are hungry we are more vulnerable.   Even the devil recognises this, he knew Jesus was Hungry after 40 days of fasting, so he came and tempted him at this point, with his first temptation being to turn a stone to bread. (Luke 4:1-4).   The Israelites during the Exodus moaned and wished they had died in Egypt and accused Moses of taking them into the desert to “starve them to death”. (Exodus 16:2-3).

 

It is important to recognise that in times of Hunger we are vulnerable to sin.   However, this does not give us permission to become gluttons by over eating and keeping our stomach’s full.   Proverbs 23:21 warns us this can lead us to poverty (both physically and spiritually).   However, through fasting and prayer we can gain control over our Hunger and reduce our vulnerability to sin.

 

We may also need to recognise our diet habits can make us vulnerable to sin.   Perhaps eating breakfast (rather than missing it), planning to eat some fruit mid-morning and having a healthy snack in the afternoon may make us all a little more saintly and even able to lose some weight by stopping us over-eating when it comes to dinner!

 

Richard Wilding
(originally published in 2007)

[Monday's Devotional] - The HALT Principle

Many years ago I was talking with a Christian friend at work.   We were discussing drinking, (as some may know I enjoy my real ale!).   I cannot remember the full context of our discussion.   He told me about a principle that I have now used for many years.  He said “Always think “HALT”, I asked “What do you mean by “HALT”!” (I was expecting him to give me a good lecture on saying ‘no’ to real ale, ‘no’ malt whisky and ‘no’ to all my other favourite tipples).

 

He said “The HALT principle is simple; it is dangerous to drink alcohol when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely and/or Tired.   If you drink at these times you are likely to say something stupid or do something stupid”, in other words if you drink at these times you are more likely to fall into sin.

 

However, since learning of the HALT principle I realise that I regularly fall into sin without a drop of alcohol!  And the times when I am at my most vulnerable are when I am Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.  Often the four elements of the HALT principle will work together creating a downward spiral. 

 

 For example, Hunger leads to Tiredness which can lead to Anger resulting in you being withdrawn and Lonely.   When reflecting on the HALT principle I discovered that many of my Bible heroes were tempted or fell into sin when they were Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

 

The devil knows we are weak at these times.  For example:

Esau sells his birth-right for a bowl of soup because of this Hunger (Genesis 25:29-35)

Saul throws a spear at David in his Anger (1 Samuel 18:6-11)

David, bored and Lonely falls for Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11: 1-4)

Samson could not keep his God-given secret and told everything to Delilah when he was “Tired to death” (Judges 16:15-16).

 

Over the next four days we will explore each element of “The HALT Principle” reflecting on how we can identify those dangerous times and avoid falling into sin. 

 

Do you need to think HALT today?

 

Richard Wilding
(originally published in 2007)