Temptation

I wasn't sure what to write about tonight, I just knew I wanted to write. I prayed and the Lord gave me this scripture to share with you. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you may stand up under it." ~ 1 Cor. 10:13. Paul was encouraging the Corinthian church that: 1) wrong desires and temptations happen to everyone, 2) you can resist temptation, as you've seen others do, and 3) any temptation can be resisted because God will help you resist it. He will help us recognize those people and situations that give us trouble and to run away from anything we know is wrong. Running from a tempting situation is our first step towards overcoming whatever the temptation is. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

People often assume that running away is cowardly. But sometimes we have to physically remove ourselves from a situation in order to not give into sin. That is sometimes the most courageous thing we can do. We need to run away from anything that produces evil thoughts or actions. Temptations are so varied. They can be something as small as resisting a piece of candy that we know we shouldn't eat, or as big as plotting to harm someone who has wronged us. Any way you look at it, temptation can and often does lead to sin.

I have been struggling so much with the temptation to eat foods that I know are not good for me. I am one of those people who eat comfort foods for that very reason, comfort. It makes me feel better when I eat a Snickers bar. It actually really satisfies. (Sorry, I couldn't resist a cheesy pun.) Seriously, it relieves stress for me to eat it, or a huge bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. That works well too. It may sound silly to someone else who doesn't have this problem, but it's a big problem for me. I am really trying to eat healthy and take care of my body. I don't feel that there is anything wrong with splurging once in a while, but not on a daily basis. The reason why it's a problem for me is not necessarily the food, it's the fact that I'm using food to comfort myself instead of going to the Lord for comfort first. I am not overweight, this isn't really a health issue for me. It's an obedience issue. It's a trust issue. The Lord will give me everything I need to resist the temptation, but it's still up to me to actually resist it. I have free will to accept His help, or not. Isn't that frustrating sometimes? It brings up the age old question, "If God already knows what we're going to do, then do we really have free will?" Can he change our minds and our decisions so that the outcome is what it was meant to be? Can we change the plans of God?

It is true that God knows the end from the beginning. He knows the words on our tongues before we even speak them. He knows every thought, every action. So, if he knows our lives before we live them, then he knows the decisions we're going to make today, tomorrow, and ten years from now. That's why people have such tough questions for God that will only be answered when we meet him face to face. (Or, at least we think so. He may choose to never tell us why certain things happened the way they did.) Questions like, "If God knew I was going to drive drunk and run my car into that telephone pole, then why didn't he stop me from drinking?" or, "If God knew that I was supposed to take the other job, and not the one I ended up taking, then why did I choose the wrong job?" or, "If God knew my friends were going to offer me some pot, then why didn't he stop me from smoking it and getting caught?" Whatever the case may be, temptation was there. People want to blame God for everything they do wrong. I don't blame God when I eat a piece of cake or a candy bar that I know I shouldn't have. It was my fault for eating it, not His. I didn't pray first to receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit. I just ate it impulsively and felt terrible afterward.

As I've mentioned before, the Holy Spirit does not condemn us. It's we who condemn ourselves. If you are in that place right now, move out! Don't camp there. Condemnation is from the enemy, not the Lord. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 it says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Nowhere in there does it mention condemnation. Jesus says in John 3:17, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." The Holy Spirit convicts and corrects so that we will learn and grow.

We know Jesus will help us when we are tempted. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." I encourage you to read Matthew chapter 4. It talks about when Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by Satan. His temptations were great, yet he did not sin. If he would have sinned, his mission on earth - to die for our sins and give us eternal life - would have been lost. The temptation by the devil shows us that Jesus was human, and it gave Jesus the opportunity to reaffirm God's plan for his ministry. We need to remember that temptation itself is not sin, even though we may feel ashamed after being tempted. We sin when we give in and disobey God.

The devil likes to tempt us when we are most vulnerable - for example, under physical or emotional stress, lonely, tired, faced with uncertainty or a big decision, etc. But he also likes to tempt us through our strengths, where we are most susceptible to pride. Either way, we need to be on guard. We need to be in the Word and we need to do what the Word says. The devil's final temptation for Jesus was that he would give him the whole world if he would bow down and worship him. Jesus said to him in verse 10, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' " Then the devil left him alone. We must resist the devil. He will try again and again to get us to sin. We have to remember that no temptation will be more than we can bear. Jesus will always give us a way out!