Monday, May 20, 2024

Listen to the Word

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  (James 1:13-15)

We will spend the week reflecting on temptation. We begin with an obvious truth from James 1:14 – “each person is tempted.”

To be human is to be tempted. Every person alive has moments when the wrong path looks really inviting, when we feel our heart start to resonate with a harmful option before us. Even if we want to be people who consistently say “yes” to God, there are so many competing offers out there, and sometimes we are drawn to them. And though God can work in our hearts in such a way that certain temptations aren’t as appealing as they once were, we will never be spiritually bullet-proof. Learning to handle temptation is a critical skill for the follower of Christ. Each person is tempted.

Live the Word

Which wrong path is most tempting to you today? Ask God to give you the wisdom and strength you need to be able to avoid it.