No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man… —1 Corinthians 10:13
The word temptation has come to mean something bad to us today, but we tend to use the word in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Not to be tempted would mean that we were already so shameful that we would be beneath contempt. Yet many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to suffer, simply because we have refused to allow God to lift us to a higher level where we would face temptations of another kind.
A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level of his own temptation, because temptation will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling, inner nature.
Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal— it does not direct me toward what I understand to be evil, but toward what I understand to be good. Temptation is something that confuses me for a while, and I don’t know whether something is right or wrong. When I yield to it, I have made lust a god, and the temptation itself becomes the proof that it was only my own fear that prevented me from falling into the sin earlier.
Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else— what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations— He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16).
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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord, Thank you for showing us that we are all different and face different temptations. Something that is tempting to another doesn’t temp me, and vice versa. It’s interesting to look backwards from the temptation to see what’s driving it. And that temptation is usually a shortcut to what is a good thing, not an evil thing. For example, yielding to sexual temptation is a shortcut to the good sex that you intended. But it’s kind of like, No Pain, No Gain. ….No temptation to overcome, No growth. So what’s the best way to overcome temptation? Willpower alone certainly doesn’t work.
It’s all about making a choice. Like Joshua told the people:
Joshua 24:14-15 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
One thing about making a choice is that you need to see the options clearly. You live in a world that is designed to distract you from the true issues and get your focus off the true choices and certainly don’t think about the consequences! Marketing, Politics, and even Religion all have agendas that they want you to conform to. Joshua was bringing the choice into clarity, and letting the people know that it was their choice. Did you notice… he said, “Choose you this day” It’s a daily manna type of thing. You will get to choose tomorrow also. Today’s choice will not be adequate for tomorrow’s temptations. Walk with me and commune with me and overcoming temptations will become easier and easier as you come to know me and find me trustworthy. Remember
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 can endure it.
The temptations that you are concerned with now are different that when you were young… or when you will be old. But they all come under the “Big Four” list that I have shown you. To Look good, Feel good, Be right, and Be in control. All the temptations common to man fall in one or more of those categories. Those are the gods on the other side of the river that Joshua refers to. So be wise. Know your enemy and Choose you this day, Who you will serve…
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