1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) 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.
How often do we succumb to the sins of the world because we were tempted and gave in to that temptation? How often do we fall because we just can’t see our way out or because it’s too much trouble to take the road less traveled? How often do we give into sin simply because to walk the other direction or turn the other cheek is just too hard? We don’t want to endure what we would have to go through if we tried to take the right course. And…if we’re being totally honest, sometimes the sins feeds the desires of the flesh and we just don’t want to turn from it.
In some of my recent studies I have come across this verse and it is sticking with me to the point that I have read it at least once a day for the last week or so. This verse starts out by telling me that there is no sin, no temptation that someone before me has not already faced. Some have failed while others have not. However, those that have overcome did so because they trusted God. The verse goes on to say that God is a faithful God, which means that He will not leave us to face our daily lives by ourselves. There is no issue or situation too big or too small that He will not help us through. He is always there watching and waiting on us to just call on Him.
The next part to the verse is meant to encourage us, in that God will never put more on us than we can bear. Now, if you’re anything like me…I’ve asked myself on more than one occasion; I wonder if He has me confused with someone else?? I have been through some things that looking back on them even now, I’m not sure I can give you a step by step answer as to how I made it through…except to say that I know it was God. He knows my strength and weaknesses better than I do. He knew what He could/can place in my path and how much I will try to hold onto myself until I realize that I can’t do anything in or of myself except through Him!
The last part of this verse is the part that sticks with me the most….But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Let’s think about this…there is no new sin or temptation under the sun. It’s all been done, thought of and endured by someone in the past, the question is; did they trust God in it or not? Did they seek the right path or give into the desires of the flesh? For every wrong decision there is a right one, for every sinful way, thought or attitude there is a righteous path waiting to be taken.
Trust me; I’m not foolish enough to believe that it’s as easy as said…even though scripture is TRUTH! I know our flesh is weak, I know sometimes it’s easier to just go along with the crowd and take the easy way out. I know sometimes it’s just fun and we don’t want to give that up, but there will come a time when we have to make a choice. I know it’s a struggle, I fail God daily, but I am doing my best to seek His guidance and turn from those sinful ways. Living in the flesh causes us to walk in sin and sin is death. Death is not what God has or wants for us and because He loves us so much, He provides a way out of every sin.
The answer may not always be an easy one; sometimes it will go against everything our flesh wants because it requires us to stand on our faith in God and away from the crowd. However, the more we seek God and His path for us the closer we are to Him. The closer we are to Him, the more our desire is to please Him and we will want to step out of the crowd and into our faith.
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