Persevering in the Lion’s Den
by Nicole Abisinio
Living in the world of entertainment, or any "worldly" business, is a daunting task. You are constantly faced with temptation and rampant sin (a life to which you can no longer subscribe when you give yourself to Jesus). However, in life, you can't just hit the unsubscribe button and no longer see, hear, or experience those temptations and influences. Sure, like many Christians, you could just hide yourself away. But to be real witnesses of the Gospel, it's important to live and love IN this world, without being OF this world. And having strong faith, and a circle of prayer partners, is the key to getting through this spiritual journey we call life.
As Christian women, we need to be able to walk into the lion’s den (as Daniel did), and come out unscathed. To do this, we have to deliberately work on our prayer lives: making time to talk with God, studying the Bible, entering into fellowship with others, and making sacrifices through disciplines like fasting (which strengthen all of our spiritual muscles). We need to get so strong in every area of our lives such that sin can be right at our fingertips, and yet, we reject those temptations and persevere.
Many years ago, on my birthday, I happened to be celebrating a more important anniversary - five years of chastity. Somehow my ex-boyfriend, the man who I have loved more than anyone (a man who is NOT living a Christian lifestyle), once again came knocking at my door. This time I knew Satan wasn't using it as a temptation, so much as God was using it to show me how far I've come. If ever in my life there was a perfect storm, a perfect temptation, it would be him. Standing in front of me was this gorgeous, funny, brilliant, successful, non-celibate man who I was madly in love with, whether I liked it or not. In a worldly sense, he was everything that I could possibly want.
And guess what? In the presence of my ex-boyfriend, this beautiful “lion,” there was never a moment where I took my eyes off of the Lord. The Holy Spirit was resting upon me with such force, that there was not a single moment where I considered giving up my purity. And this wasn’t because I wanted to “follow a rule,” but because Jesus had given me His own heart. I knew if I were to have sex, I would not only hurt myself (by being outside of Gods will), but more importantly, I would hurt Jesus.
The old “me,” before my conversion, would have jumped at the chance to be fully loved by this man. Now, however, I am confident that the Holy Spirit convicts my heart and leads me in all things. I’ve come to understand that sex outside of marriage is never God’s will, and it would do nothing but block God’s love and the wonderful gifts he has in store for me (joy, salvation, and freedom from bondage). On that particular day, though my kryptonite was standing right there in front of me, the love of Jesus and the gifts bestowed on me by the Holy Spirit, far outweighed anything this, or any man, could ever give me. Without God, we can do nothing. With him, all things are possible!
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Nicole Abisinio is a Catholic evangelist, movie producer, and casting director.
Check out her most recent book here: Pure Power: How to Break Out of Sexual Sin or Avoid it in the First Place
Find more about Nicole at GabrielsMessengerFilms.com
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