1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it.”
All of us face temptations, in life, when we think there is no possible way out of something without sinning. Sometimes, our temptation may be to get angry and act ungodly (as in bad traffic), but we need to stop ourselves at the moment we’re getting ready to yell at the car in front of us and look for God’s way out. His way out of an ungodly temper might just be turning on worship music, focusing on Jesus and being thankful for the “extra” time we then have to be in His presence!
Repeat this out loud with me, “God will not let me be tempted beyond what I can handle. God is faithful and He will always provide a way out so that I can endure it.”
Now repeat that phrase until you believe it! You may face the temptation of giving up on God’s promises, staying home from church and running away from godly people in your life because you are ashamed of your mistakes. However, if you take just a moment before you start your “100 yard-dash” away from everything holy and ask God for the way out, He will give you one. He may encourage you and say, “Go to church, confess your weaknesses to a trusted leader and have them pray for you because you’re not facing this situation alone.”
The ESV Study Bible wrote concerning this verse, “Even when Christians face morally confusing situations, they should never think that they have no options other than sinful ones. There will always be a morally right solution that does not require disobedience to any of God’s moral laws.”
So, no matter what temptation you are facing, in life, before you freak out and say God has abandoned you and there is no other option but to sin — stop, drop, and roll! Stop whatever wrong thing you’re about to do. Drop to your knees and pray for God’s way out. Roll out of the temptation into a way of escape provided for you!
Reflection
Action
- Confess to God the two biggest temptations you’re facing in life.
- Pray out loud, with faith, “Jesus, you will not let me be tempted beyond what I can handle in these situations. You are faithful and will always provide a way out so that I can endure it.”
- Ask God for a way of escape in each situation and praise Him because of His faithfulness. He will always guide you along the right paths for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).
