The Way Out

And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

I've written about temptation before, however I really felt the Holy Spirit wanted me to speak on this again. We are all tempted in some way just about every day of our lives. Not everyone is tempted by the same thing, but we are all tempted to do something, either good or bad. And its really not the good things we are tempted by that are the problem, it is the bad things that give us problems. I can't tell you how many times I've been tempted by the same thing over and over and over, and I fall into the temptation over and over and over, and it seems I keep going around that same proverbial mountain constantly. I cry out to God, "when is this thing going to be over." Then I read in Corinthians that God provides a way out and I say to God "where is this way out, because I sure don't see it." He said it is there, it is always there, you just are looking for it. So I took a step back and realize that I was looking for the way out after I did the actual action of what I was being tempted to do. You won't see the way out while you are doing the action of whatever it is you are being tempted to do. You see the way out WHILE you are being tempted and before it turns into an action. Every temptation starts as a feeling, which will then turn into a thought...and if you entertain that thought long enough it WILL turn into an action. The "way out" the Apostle Paul was talking about is seen during the feeling and thought part of temptation. "Well Kent, I can't help what I think about." That's true, you cannot control what thoughts pop into your mind...HOWEVER you can control what you do with them. When you are in the "thought" part of temptation, that is where you start saying "NO!" But that isn't enough. You MUST apply God's word to that temptation...the way out! Look at what happened with Jesus in the wilderness. Every time He was tempted He spoke the word of God to that temptation. That is what we need to do. You know the areas in your life where you are tempted, I encourage you to find the scriptures that speak to that temptation, and then speak those words when you are tempted.

Take Away...

Don't let your thoughts run you when you are tempted, God gave you the way out...His Word! Speak His word to your thoughts when you are being tempted to do something you know you shouldn't be doing.