Today's Devotional Thought
September 10, 2010 by Wendy Foreman
Fleeing Temptation
We live in a society where sin is all around us. Everywhere we look we see it and sometimes feel it. Paul, in this scripture, is speaking to and encouraging the Corinthian church about temptation. He is telling them (and we can learn from Paul’s wisdom as well) that there are sinful desires and temptations all around and they happen to everyone. And even though, sometimes, it may feel as though we are the only ones who are facing these temptations, we shouldn’t feel singled out. We also need to understand that we are capable of resisting temptation and that God will strengthen us to do so.
When we recognize that we are being tempted in some way, we first need to stop and look at who it is that we are surrounding ourselves with and what kinds of situations are we finding ourselves in when we are with them. If we see that this temptation comes from being with a particular person, then we need to separate ourselves from them. We sometimes can find ourselves in certain places or situations that bring about the temptation that we struggle with. When we recognize that, we need to avoid intentionally putting ourselves in that situation. Secondly, we need to avoid that which we know is wrong and actively choose to do what we know is right. In theory this sounds good, like something that we should be able to do easily. If only it were that easy. Many times, we find ourselves in situations that compromise our morals or values and we feel trapped; we often feel we aren’t strong enough to stand up and do what is right. I said it in the previous paragraph that God is very capable of enabling us to be strong in those compromising situations. We must turn to Him in those moments and rely on Him and His strength. Finally, in order to avoid temptation we must surround ourselves with friends that love God and can help us when we feel like we need help. This is where having a close friend as an accountability partner or even someone from your church that you feel comfortable with can be so helpful. If you have made them aware of this area you are struggling in then they can be praying for you and they can check in with you to see how you are doing. With help from God and the prayers of a close friend or accountability partner, you can learn to run or flee from temptation and find victory!!!!
II 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.??? To flee from something or to run away it oftentimes is seen as being a coward. The truth is, though, when we can recognize temptation and the need to flee from it, we then see where we have matured in the Lord and grown in wisdom.
Do you have a temptation in your life that is recurring? Are you finding it hard to resist? You need to remove yourself physically from any situation that brings about your desire to sin. Temptation is a spiritual battle that we face and knowing when we need to run away is sometimes just as important as knowing when to fight.
December