“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)
The scary issue with which we all deal when it comes to temptation is not whether God will give us a means of defeating it, it’s always the matter of our decision to take the “escape route” He provides. That’s why remembering my many failures is so painful, in the end I have no one to blame but myself.
As I’ve recently pondered this whole issue of how to overcome temptation in my life, I’m discovering it’s never an issue of not being able to overcome it; it’s always an issue of whether I will. And the basis of my choice isn’t will-power, determination, or spiritual maturity, it’s love. Who do I love more – me or Jesus?
Erwin Lutzer said: “Our response to temptation is an accurate barometer of our love for God.” OUCH! That stings! When we allow temptation to defeat us, it’s always easier to think of our weakness than our lack of love for the Lord. In our heart and mind, we want to believe we’re “all in with Jesus,” until an attractive woman walks by, or I see a sale I just can’t pass up, or ___________.
How do we even measure something as intangible as love? Maybe that’s the problem, love isn’t as intangible as we might think. We’re tempted to believe that love is how we feel, but love, as I’ve often said, isn’t an emotion, it’s a decision. So, if that’s true, measuring our love for God or others isn’t as mysterious as we often make it out to be.
For example, the Bible says in Galatians 5: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” None of these qualities are of human origin, thus, the presence of them in our lives is evidence of the Spirit’s activity and investment, only made possible by our willingness to allow His presence to work in and through us.
Temptation isn’t isolated or separate from our love for the Lord, it’s an opportunity to prove our love and give expression to the Lord that we want His will more than our own, and to be filled and empowered by His life and love, not simply what we, in our flesh, most want in any given moment. We too quickly forget that Satan is a liar, so, when he brings temptation to us, he “dresses” it in glamor and appeal that he knows will get our attention.
The irony is he tempts us exactly like he tempted Jesus, and he never varies. He appeals to our cravings for physical pleasure, for everything we see, and to take pride in our own achievements and possessions. In short, Satan’s goal is for us to make much of ourselves, while God’s goal is for us to learn to first make much of Him, not for His sake, but for ours.
The more we make much of Him, the more personally and effectively we give expression to our love for Him, the more we open avenues of opportunity for Him to shower us with “gifts” that will enable those who see us to see more of Him. At heart we’re about us, so, temptation is designed to make that as easy as possible. Overcoming temptation, as hard as it may be for us, becomes easier with which to deal the closer we get to Jesus.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 