I think many times we overestimate ourselves and our ability to see the "darkness" that could pull us in.  Temptation, the silent deadly predator- the tool of the Devil, sits and waits...on the prowl. 

And many of us think of the "really bad stuff" when we think temptation.  We tend to think sex, drugs, alcohol, malicious greed, etc.  But do we ever think about the temptation of  "self?"  We, as human beings are selfish, proud, jealous, unsatisfied creatures.  If you don't think you are, you are fooling only yourself. 

We took the kids to see Narnia- The Dawn Treader tonight.  Great movie.  I was disappointed that it didn't follow the book more, but nonetheless a great movie.  The mist attacks the Dawn Treader, the Narnian ship.  It preys on the characters and their fears and feelings. 
Lucy doesn't feel good enough, not pretty enough.  Edmond doesn't feel enough like a man and they fall prey to the darkness.  Then they recognize it, snap out of it and in the end are victorious.

But as I watched the movie, I kept thinking about how we can look back at a situation, sometimes, and recognize the darkness that was in it. 
How perhaps I was a little angry at a- something out of my control, and b-something so ridiculously small
And unfortunately our fall to temptation usually drags someone else into it.  And many times, unfortunately, it's someone who deserves it the least...the ones who love us the most.

"So lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."
Jesus himself taught us to pray these words- not because we may gamble our homes and riches away in a casino, but because Jesus knew the Predator.  He faced him in the desert.  The Predator that knows our weaknesses, knows our fears and preys on them, ready to pounce like a roaring lion.

So let us lean not on our own understanding...but continue to live life in repentance - to Jesus and to the ones we unfortunately affect along the way.