Facing Temptation

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

What happens when a Christ follower faces a temptation? It seems to me that the options are limited. One of the best things we can do is to deal with it, and gain mastery over it. Another option, which I do not recommend, is to do nothing. From my personal experience, and in counseling with others, that usually leads to sinful actions. The critical issue is the time span between the initial temptation and your chosen response. So much hangs in the balance.

When Cain felt the first pangs of jealousy against his brother, Abel, he knew it was displeasing to God. It appears that the jealousy led to anger, the anger turned into thoughts of murder. The longer the wait, the worst it got. And yet, God warned him that sin was crouching in wait—it was even at the door—at his heart’s door.

The time to deal with it was…right now! If Cain thought that temptation would not lead to sin, he was wrong—dead wrong. By treating it lightly, he didn’t overcome it before the temptation overtook him. That is the tragedy here; Cain was not able to master his sin, then the sin overtook and destroyed his life.

By the way, who among us is ever ready for a temptation? It’s not like we can arrange when they will happen; that’s why they call it a temptation! So deal with it right away. Master the sin that crouches at the door of your heart. Don’t delay and allow its inevitable and disastrous results. If you do that, you can avoid many hardships and difficulties—for yourself as well as others.

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. (Genesis 4:7)