“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12
Last week, I was in a Bible study where we were talking about the difference between our trials and our temptations. Through the course of our discussion, we came to the conclusion that our trials are not our temptations but our temptations could be part of our trials. This brought me to the book of Matthew in the Bible where the devil came to Jesus during his 40 day/40 night fast and told him if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. Throughout their conversation he told Jesus to not only make food for himself but to throw himself off a cliff with the knowledge that the angels of God would protect Him. He promised Him riches and land if he’d only bow down and worship him. The devil tried to use what he thought Jesus was deprived of to test the portion of God in Him.
The point to this story is not the fact that the devil tempted Jesus, but the timing of it all. This took place 3 years before he was supposed to sacrifice his life on the cross – which is literally what He was sent to Earth to do. Imagine if Jesus gave into the temptations that the devil set before him. He would’ve never gone to die on the cross and we would never have the grace and salvation we do today. Sometimes, we give into our temptations and that keeps us from the assignments God has given us. When we know who we are, and who God is in us, to us, and for us, the devil and his lies and temptations have no power over us.
Being a college student, and just a young adult in general brings a life full of temptations. There are so many things that we haven’t explored yet and so many things we can’t let go of. Our hope is in the fact that with every temptation, there is a way out – another route that doesn’t involve us compromising ourselves or the plans God has for us. Some ways of escape can be less appealing of course, but because of the importance of completing the tasks God has set before us, we must actively choose to resist our temptations. A lot of the time, we like to take little risks and just barely touch lines that are not meant to be crossed and even that can set us up. We go through the same situations with the same temptations and urges because we can’t learn how to fight them.
In resisting temptations, you are showing God that you’re ready for whatever assignment or trial he has for you. Relying on him to get through your temptation gives Him room to bless you with more and prepares you for the times life can get rough. It shows self control and patience – two of the things God looks for in his chosen people. Like the verse says in the beginning, there is a reward for getting through your trials and temptations. On top of that, God has promised to love us through all of that. Do not give your desires authority over your life. God has a purpose for each of us but a lot of the time, we’re unable to walk into that purpose until we get our heart, self control, and patience right.
