[My apologies for being away for so long. I had an upper respiratory infection that literally zapped all energy out of me for over a week now. But, I have missed doing this with you every morning! I'm excited to get back into God's Word together! Okay, let's dig back into James...]
"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death."
When was the last time you were really tempted? I mean really. Not just to eat an extra piece of cake, but something that you knew could bring total destruction. There seems to be an excuse for high-school and college kids to fall into temptation since they are "young", and I'm not sure why we give them a Free Pass to behave however they want during that time, but wow, did I ever give into temptation then! Some of my choices from those periods of life brought total destruction: on me, on my family, on ministries I was involved in, and on friendships. However, it didn't stop after college! Just last week, I was tempted in a way I had not been tempted for years regarding something that I thought was long gone. I hesitate to share details with you because I don't want to give my sin a platform of glory, but I would certainly welcome conversation with you if you find yourself in a similar place. But temptation will come! Quite frankly, I was shocked. Yet, there it was. Staring me in the face. And it was at that point, that I had some choices to make.
See, that's just it. Our death and destruction from our own sin should never come as a shock. Right here in James, he lays out the pathway that we can choose to take or not. Since the Bible is God's word, we know that God is the One saying these things to us. He knows us and our weaknesses...
"When tempted..." Oh, there it is. Notice it doesn't say "if you're ever tempted". It's not a matter of "if" but a matter of "when", and for me, it's often times when I am not walking closely with the Lord. As I told you, I had a week and a half "off" of my quiet times due to my illness last week...and that's when satan knew I was vulnerable. In high school and college, most of my "big" failings were during seasons that I wasn't living for Christ, but living for Molly. Though some were even just in a weak moment while I was living for Christ. We are so vulnerable! We should never think that we are in a place beyond temptation. We are just a few small decision away from the worst outcome possible.
"...no one should say 'God it tempting me'. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." Your temptations are not coming from Him. He doesn't do that. It's not even in His nature...He can't! Does He sometimes allow trials and temptations? Yes. But remember, His plans are to prosper you, and not to harm you...if He allows it, it's for a good reason. Sometimes, that good reason could be our own needed consequences. Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." That is His design, but He allows it because He loves you. Hebrews 12 says, "the Lord disciplines the one He loves," and "God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness." Wow, our discipline will make us more holy! But make no mistake, it is not God trying to seduce you to sin, but the deceiver himself.
"But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire..." Sometimes we don't want to admit this, but we all have evil desires. In the depths of my own heart, I have thought some pretty evil things. They just...happen. But once we can come to this reality, we realize the need we have for a Savior, and the salvation of Christ is all that more glorious! We are evil apart from Christ. That's what this whole journey is about: the Holy Spirit working in me to make me more like Jesus and to better serve my Lord. Without Him, we are nothing. Without Him, we serve satan.
"...he is dragged away and enticed." These are words commonly used when referring to hunting! Who is hunting you? Satan. 1 Peter 5:8 says that satan "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." In this verse, there are two ways he might finally accomplish this: Dragged away, meaning you've come to a place where you either don't care to be dragged away, or you're too "unconscious" that you can be dragged away. Or enticed, which I think is satan's preferred method in my life of making whatever it is look so good that you just can't help yourself. Slowly, over time, we give into it. A friend once told me, "You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can prevent him from building a nest in your hair." It takes time for him to make a nest. There are many opportunities before that to stop the direction in which you find yourself going.
"Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death." The most important points about temptation are right here. It's a process. First, there is a desire. The sin is not in the desire, so the fact that you notice the handsome guy at the restaurant or you've had a hard day and you really desire something that will take the pain away, that's not the problem. But it's when the desire has conceived. You've made a plan. Or you've allowed your mind to think long and hard about something, and it begins to carry you away. This is where we start to compromise and head down the path of destruction. But here's the thing, according to 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." Thank you, Lord! Even when we're heading down that path, He sees us, and He will provide a way out! In high school, it was my mom asking me directly, "What are your plans tonight?" because she knew what was being conceived in my mind. I lied to her, and she let me bear the consequences of that decision. Last week, it was an e-mail sent from a ministry that is dear to me, and the Holy Spirit used that e-mail to convict me. God gave me a STOP sign, loud and clear, in both instances.
But did I follow that stop sign? In high school, I didn't choose to turn around, and later that night, my desire gave birth to the sin. That sin was followed by some pretty major destruction in my life, but God, in His great mercy, used it to actually draw me closer to Himself. Praise the Lord! In contrast, last week, after reading the e-mail, I was broken. I saw the path where I was headed, and I immediately called my girl friend who was working and usually cannot answer her phone. But, God gave me a way out, and she felt like she should answer! I shared with her the temptation I was having and immediately, the weight was lifted off of me! It does not hold power over me any more. I must admit, I was a bit embarrassed for even having to admit my temptation to her, but I felt so much better after it was no longer my own secret, stewing in the corners of my mind.
Will that temptation ever return? It might. And again, I can be assured that God will give me a way out, and if I choose to take it, no destruction will come to me. This was a big lesson for me last week, a humbling one, but I praise God for His faithfulness to us, even when we are not faithful.
So, what about you? Are there any areas of unconfessed temptation in your life? I can assure you that they will not hold the power any longer once you tell someone. If you are not being tempted right now, that is great, but I encourage you to live with the expectation that someday you will. And when the day comes, you will not be surprised, and you will know how to stop the bird before he makes a nest in your hair.
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