Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Stay Strong Against Temptation

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

-- Hebrews 2:18

Jesus was a homeless man. He was rejected and ridiculed. Threatened. Betrayed. Insulted. Murdered.

We try to gloss over all that as we see this God-Man who suffered so greatly for us. We don’t really want the details, unless it’s in a movie and everyone else is going. Even then, we convince ourselves that all that drama is, well, drama. Not real. Surely, not real.

But it was. And He did. And because He did, Jesus understands our broken hearts. He also knows that we can resist the temptations that lead to excuses that always end in disaster.

Oh. You weren’t expecting that? Well, we’ve always got an excuse when we do something we knew ahead of time we really shouldn’t have done.

Mistakes are natural. We all make them. But it’s what happens after the mistake that makes all the difference. Do we admit our mistakes, take responsibility, change what we can and move on? Or do we hide behind excuses, wallowing in internal guilt even as outwardly we deny responsibility?

I know. Jesus is, well, Jesus. He’s perfect. But because He came to earth as the Son of Man, Jesus was tempted in all the ways we are tempted. And He resisted. He did not sin.

It wasn’t easy. It couldn’t have been easy. No one could suffer that much abuse, give that much of Himself, and call it easy. But Jesus found strength in His Father. Our Father. He spent time every day with the One who is I AM.

That is the key. Jesus spent time every day with God. Alone. He poured out His agony. He sought advice. Guidance. Strength. He was One with His Father and Jesus called us to be the same.

We all face temptation. Those who say otherwise are only denying themselves and the reality we all face. It’s easy to say “walk away.” Because sometimes we can’t walk away when temptation is all around us.

We aren’t supposed to remove ourselves from this fallen world. We are to be the light amidst the darkness. How do we avoid that slippery path downward? Look to Jesus. See the Father. And surround yourself with people who do the same.

Satan loves to tempt those who belong to Jesus. It is not an easy path but we can find strength to stand and to begin again when we fall. Find it in Jesus and the Father. Every day.