Guarding one’s eyes and controlling one’s desires was always a challenge. In our times, this already difficult test has skyrocketed to unimaginable levels. It is so hard to fight, and people who have battled and mastered these temptations are rare. Most people either are failing far more than they wish — whether it is publicly evident or not — or have not been challenged with strong impulses. Conquering this challenge requires going against one’s nature, and that makes it so impressive. That is why people who consistently overcome this challenge are so rare. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of this exclusive group. It isn’t easy, but that’s the point. That is why Hashem put us here: to succeed in perhaps the most difficult battle ever and reach greatness.
Realizing the difficulty of success can deflate us and sway us to give up. To stay motivated to fight, let us remember that because the battle is so hard, each bit of effort is so valuable. Even if we don’t succeed, each second we try and every time we push back against the yetzer hara is phenomenal in itself. Hashem cherishes each of these accomplishments and takes great pride in us. We cannot fathom how amazing it is and how proud Hashem will be when we actually win the battle! Controlling ourselves is so impressive because it is so difficult. Because of the challenge, it is an opportunity for greatness.
When we face great challenges, we should be excited! Rather than being upset because it will be harder to do what we have to do, we should remember that now we can become even greater because the challenge is so strong. Rather than being down, we will become so pumped up that the battle will be a breeze. Succeeding when it is rough is the point of life, and this success is in our hands! We can do it!
We must never forget that Hashem only created and challenged us so that we can reach great heights. He wants to give us the best experience possible, and that’s why He gave us this opportunity. Contemplating this will help us realize that Hashem is so happy for us when we win, and will pump us up to capitalize on our opportunity.
We are so fortunate that Hashem gave us this opportunity. Had Hashem not given us the Torah, we would not receive any real gain by acting with self-control. All we would benefit from self-control is the “gain” of not losing something, such as not wrecking our marriages and not making ourselves miserable by becoming addicts. But we would not gain anything from controlling ourselves. But fortunately, Hashem gave us the mitzvos, and now when we control ourselves, we break free from our status and reach astounding heights!
It’s time for us to throw away our limiting beliefs. We can attain unprecedented greatness. Let’s cash in on the greatest opportunity of all time by resolving to fight in the battle of the generation.
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