Dealing with Temptation in Faith
I used to follow the world’s way.
Listening to bad advice. Following the scent of sin and greed. Why was it appealing?
Seems that’s the point. Dealing with temptation wasn’t meant to be easy.
It’s like in movies when the hungry character comes upon a table set up with a gorgeous feast. It looks so tempting… and the look on the character’s face says “Maybe just one grape. Who would notice?”
Watching it we know something isn’t right. We want to scream “Get out of there!”
But we wait and see if the character is smart enough to know better.
We hope for the best.
Living in Faith Means Dealing with Temptation in Faith
Life can be a lot like the movies. We’re faced with decisions and sometimes we have no idea what the “right” choice is. Sometimes we know, but don’t feel we can trust it.
We calculate our risk. We wonder if we’re being smart or foolish.
We wonder if anyone will notice — and get paralyzed between putting our trust in the world, and trusting in God. Jeremiah 17:7-8 reminds us:
““But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.””
Living in the world means facing temptation daily. Jesus didn’t say that by becoming saved we would have no problems. He didn’t even say we’d have fewer problems or deal with less temptation. He said that in this life we would experience MANY troubles.
We can’t handle it alone.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
Our faith is put to the test every time we’re tempted by evil — our knees shake when we meet Goliath, our heart pounds when we must choose to take action or remain quiet, our lack of control blinds us in moments we need our sight — but let us remember that Jesus is stronger. He will lead us and guide us through the situation. We can trust that he is the truth, and truth is not the temptation that threatens us.
We can deal with temptation in faith — by praying to God for courage, trusting that his spirit is with us and believing that Jesus overcame death. Nothing is stronger than that.
“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)