Enduring Temptation by Dawn Mooring

1Cor. 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

How would you define temptation? Would you say it's the desire to go after things or experience you shouldn't? Perhaps it's going for the dessert when you're on a diet, late night web-surfing on forbidden sites, flirting outside of your marriage, speeding to get where you want when you want... Certainly these are examples of going after what we shouldn't go after. What I know to be true as well, temptation is also not going after something we should.

Daily I get directives from God to send a note, make a call, put in the offering plate, love the unlovely, BUT I don't. I refuse to go after what is best. I settle for laziness, procrastination, living in fear of risk... Temptation then, can be either active or passive. Giving in to temptation either way yields poor endings. I’ve passed my 50^th birthday but am still memorizing Scripture. I want to stay sharp both spiritually and mentally. Crossword puzzles may help my mind but not my spirit – so kill two birds with one stone. Right now I’m attempting to take on James Chapter 1. My verse today, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation..."

The word blessed means to be truly happy. To endure is to successively and victoriously survive a trial or testing. Temptation is a trial or testing. So when you put this altogether, you have great words of wisdom. You’ll be the happiest when you go through a tempting time and resist the urge to give into it. Your choice to be active when God speaks, or be passive when God speaks, will determine your true level of happiness, success, and victory. Self denial doesn't get easier with age. At 57 I am still struggling denying my fleshly desires.

So today I ask myself this question, “Do I want the temporary happiness that temptation is flaunting me with, or the true happiness of endurance with success and victory that may take awhile?" Today I pray to endure.

Are you ready to give in to temptation? Refuse the urge and hand over to God the struggle. His grace is enough for you!

Dawn Mooring is an experienced speaker, teacher, author. She has been published in THE UPPER ROOM and christiandevotions.us and Inspireafire. Dawn has counseling certification through Grace Ministries International and in women’s ministry though American Association of Christian Counselors. Her passion is to know God and His Word and to share the abundant life found in Christ. Dawn is a television co-host on The Christian View. For more info, check out www.dawnmooring.com and dawnmooring.blogspot.com.