Sometimes we make being a Christian more difficult than it actually is. We tempt ourselves with different things that we know are wrong to begin with. For some of us ladies, the longing might be an outfit that is not in-line with the Biblical standards of modesty. While for a man, the temptation could well be watching a movie that portrays immoral characters or actions. We focus our minds on these desires even though, we know from the start that they are wrong. The subject is not closed in our minds, and instantly the Devil has a new playground. We mope around convincing ourselves that our desires are not really that bad, after all we “deserve” a little “freedom.”
Essentially, we are making a simple problem very difficult. If, when we saw the outfit, or noticed the movie, we were honest enough with ourselves to say “this doesn’t fit with the Christian lifestyle that the Lord has revealed in His Holy Word,” we would offset many anxious hours and days. The matter would be settled. No dilemma, no convincing ourselves of a negative, no worrying about unnecessary problems. It would be all over, really before it began.
How simple our lives would be if we were just honest with ourselves and God! In my own experience, I can think of so many times that I have caused myself and others heartache, because I was reluctant to take the Christian path that I knew was right from the very beginning.
What is worse, are those occasions when we actually talk ourselves into doing something that we know is wrong. These are the worst moments in a Christian’s life. When we admit to ourselves that we have committed wrong and failed the faith; that feeling is undescribable. I am sure that each one of us, knows the hurt and anguish of realizing that we have wounded Christ. The unexplainable emptiness of acknowledging that we have intentionally forsook the very one that gave His life for our salvation. If there if a worse feeling, I hope to never feel it.
James said “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). A key word in this scripture is “fall.” There is a big difference between “falling” and “running” into a temptation. We can’t get credit for successfully completing a trial that we have intentionally brought upon ourselves. I am sure however, that we do shoulder the blame when we fail in these trials of our own making.
You see, James also said, “resist the Devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). It stands to reason then, that the sooner we resist, the sooner he will flee from us. I am sure that experience has taught all of us that lesson. The trouble comes when we don’t began resisting soon enough. If we choose not to stand when we know that we should, it just becomes more and more difficult as time goes by. When we won’t accept those first opportunities to resist, often the positions that force us to stand are much more uncomfortable.
Jesus said that before any evil, He would provide us with a “way of escape.” But you can believe me, that the deeper into a situation, the more challenging those ways of escape are. As a type of example, let me tell you about something that happened in my childhood.
When I was seven or eight years old, I learned a lesson about letting things get out of hand that I will never forget. While carrying a conversation with my Mom I was speaking about a man I had heard about on a newscast. He had broken a world’s record in weight lifting. As I spoke, I unintentionally quoted a much larger number than it was; instantly, I realized that the number couldn’t be correct, but Mom seemed very interested and I was reluctant to correct the mistake. As time went by, the story (and the fake number) began to circulate. Before long, it seemed that everyone was misquoting the facts of the matter and it was all my fault. I knew that it was not true, and I had allowed my mistake to become a lie. Cheeks red from embarrassment, I had to go to everyone and tell them the whole truth. I was ashamed that I had not corrected the entire mess when it could have been quite simple. That’s when I learned that it only gets harder to remedy a bad situation.
I can’t tell you how often that little lesson has helped me as I go through life. If I will only pause to recognize exactly what the situation is, I can stop temptation (and unintentional lying) in it’s tracks.
When we are saved, one of the most precious gifts that Jesus gives, is the ability to distinguish right from wrong; it is a basic of Christianity. But as we continue in the faith, it is so easy to forsake this building block. While we shield ourselves under grace, and hide under the cloak of salvation, this gift is often cast aside. And, although it is an absolute necessity for a real Christian life, over and over we refuse to acknowledge that it is working in our lives. The people that we live and work with may never know that a Christian is supposed to look and act different from the unsaved. The answer, like always, can be found in the word of God, “by their fruits shall ye know them” (Matthew 7:20). |
