No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
It is something we know to be true, but boy, do we wrestle with it. Unless you are one of those incredibly blessed people with a metabolism that operates at warp speed, you know what I am about to write is true. If you eat more calories than you burn, you are going to gain weight. That’s just a fact of life. Next is the real bummer. Long after the sweet, wonderful taste of that pecan pie (not a slice—the whole thing) is gone, the weight sticks around. All my life I have fought the “battle of the bulge” and too often lost. And every time the culprit is the fact that for that moment, taste outweighs (no pun intended) my common sense. I know that if I eat too much of this or that—I will pay the price and the price is always more than the worth of that momentary pleasure. Crazy.
It can all be summed up in a few words—the weight outlasts the dessert. Yup, it is just true and if we are talking just about weight, it is somewhat serious but not disastrous. Now…instead of weight and dessert let’s talk sin and consequences. You see just like the weight outlasts the taste, so the guilt and shame of sin lingers long after any sinful pleasure that we may have felt. I know and you know people today who are still carrying guilt and shame for a poor decision years ago. And sometimes, well, it is more than guilt and shame, it is wounds that haven’t healed and scars that never go away.
The big truth is this…count the cost before you take the bite. If it is pie…count the cost but if it is the kind of decision that ends marriages and kills careers and character…really, really count the cost. One of the best things we can do is to recognize bad decisions in the windshield and not the rearview mirror. Put another way—learn to say no and avoid the “oh no.”
One of the great scriptures in the New Testament is found in a letter that Paul had written to the church at Corinth. You might know that they weren’t known for making good decisions, so it probably is no surprise that Paul gave them this good advice and great truth. Here it is, “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.” In other words, you are not the first person to be tempted and you won’t be the last. And, it gets better, God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to resist, and the bonus round is that He always provides a way of escape.
With that truth, we know we can say no to the whole pie, say no to a dangerous relationship and say no to whatever Satan throws your way. We can win because we are winners. Isn’t that great news? Sometimes the best thing we can do is talk with someone who can help us with our struggles. Well, I know someone who is more than willing to help and that is our Heavenly Father. Sit down for chat…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 