Wednesday
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. Vs 13.
Paul wants the Corinthians (and us) to know that our behavior is important. What we say, what we do matters. We cannot keep straddling the fence when it comes to our Christianity. We cannot remain in the past, doing the same things we did before we accepted Christ… and you know what those sins are… the ones that tempt you the most. You can’t keep doing them and then turning around and acting “holy” on Sunday. You are either in or you are out. God does not like lukewarm, weekend Christians. And why? Because, first of all God is a jealous God and he wants our complete attention, but secondly He knows how hard it is to live in this world and we need all His strength to get us through. If we are not in complete fellowship with Him… life is tough. Life is filled with obstacles that we cannot overcome in our own power, our own strength. Which leads me to verse 13.
This passage of scripture is often misinterpreted. Many believe that God will not give them problems and situations that they can’t endure on their own. Actually the opposite is true, we are often given many trials and situations that we can’t endure on our own, and that is when we must rely completely on God.
I had a friend whose son was killed by a hit and run driver. This is quite likely the worst fear a parent can have… to lose a child. All of us who have never experienced it can even begin to know how it feels, but that is where Jesus steps in… when we have nothing, He must become our everything. When we have lost it all… God is the one who can sympathize with us, who can help us to see beyond our tragedy… to turn our heartache into something we can endure.
So what does this verse really say to us? It is about temptations. Are you being tempted? Then know that Jesus was tempted too. Look at Luke 4 or (Matt 4). Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. But here’s how Jesus stood up to the temptations. He knew his scriptures. When you are dealing with temptations, what scriptures can you say to fight against the enticement of wanting to succumb to the temptation. Are you in a situation that plays on your weakness? Get out of there. And God promises to provide a way for you. An alcoholic shouldn’t work in a bar. A glutton shouldn’t work in a bakery… you get it? If you are married and yet are attracted to a co-worker, put up a guard, go out of your way to avoid being alone, don’t make comparisons. You might even have to work harder on your marriage, do special things for your spouse that say “l love only you.”
Whatever your temptation might be, know that God will help you escape from it… but you have to use His resources, rely on Him.
Paul turns his attention to the belief of others and the role that we play in winning others for Christ. There is nothing wrong with associating with unbelievers, as a matter of fact, we should be associating with them, but our goal is to win them to Christ and not succumb to our old habits. And remember that everything we do is to bring glory to God. So be aware of that in whatever you say or do… am I bring honor and glory to God?
Grace and Peace
Pastor Kathy