Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 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. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:12-14

For the last three weeks, my daughters and I have started our mornings memorizing a verse or two every week. We repeat it every day together and then individually. When they are able to recite it from memory (usually by Friday morning) they are rewarded with a “treat” from a jar of candy I have in our kitchen. I decided to start our Scripture memory with the Lord’s Prayer.

Each week as we recite the verses, new questions come up. “What does hallowed mean?,” Grace asked me the first week. Then this week, our verse is Matthew 6:13, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one….” “What is temptation?” Grace asked. I would like to say I immediately began to pontificate from memory what exactly temptation means, but alas, my brain was mushy that morning and so I googled “tempt” in dictionary.com to ensure a proper answer. To tempt means, “to entice someone to do wrong, especially by a promise of reward.”

We then began to discuss how Grace and Chesed will “tempt” each other at different times (more often it is Grace getting Chesed to do something she knows is wrong, something I have told them not to do, hoping that Chesed will be punished instead). We talked about how as sisters, they  should help each other obey God (and Mommy and Daddy), not tempt each other to disobey. This was very easy for Grace to understand. Now, to put into practice will certainly be more difficult, but the first step is simply to have an awareness of when we are tempted.

As adults, we may recognize we are being tempted to do something we know is wrong, but feel powerless at times to choose what is right. Perhaps it is a bad habit that we have given in to so many times, we feel frustrated and defeated before we even choose right or wrong. Perhaps our emotions such as anger or fear seek to hold us captive, enticing us toward poor thoughts and choices.

I want to encourage you today with the Scripture I have placed at the top of this post. No temptation has seized you that is uncommon to man. That is pretty comforting, I think. My temptations are not some “special case” unique to others temptations. That means that we as Christians can encourage one another when we are tempted to make the right choice. We can help others recognize when they are being tempted to sin because we ourselves have likely been subjected to the same or similar temptations.

Which brings us to the second part of the verse: “God is faithful.” isn’t it encouraging to know that God is always faithful?  Paul is drawing us to this aspect of God’s character (God’s faithfulness) because he wants us to highlight how God is faithful specifically  in the midst of our temptations. How, you may ask, is He faithful? Well, firstly, He won’t let us be tempted beyond our ability, which is comforting. He’s not going to allow my two year old to face the same temptations He allows me to face, for example. And secondly, He is faithful to  provide us a way of escape. The word “escape” in this passage in the Greek means, “exit, egress, way out.”

When I am tempted I want to pause long enough to look for God’s bright red “EXIT” sign – how might He be providing a way out of this tempting situation for me? Will I take it? Often, if I make a poor choice it is because I do not look for His divine “escape strategy.”

Today I was tempted to be angry with someone that treated me and my children unfairly. I came home from this encounter, venting to my husband about how this man had behaved and how wrong it was. I was tempted to stew in my anger rather than lovingly confront this individual. Graciously, my husband directed me to a “way of escape” for my anger. He encouraged me to call this man and explain how his actions had impacted me and the kids.  When I called and shared with him how his actions made me feel, he was very remorseful and apologized. He even thanked me for calling and letting him know and assured me that this wouldn’t happen again. I hung up from that call feeling good – good that I had talked directly to the individual who had hurt me (which was the way of escape, in my situation) rather than harbor a grudge against him and stew in my “justified anger” for being treated unfairly. I also felt peace flood my heart where unrest and anxiety had been only moments prior.

How have you been tempted lately, my friend? Have you seen the way of escape to that situation that God has provided for you? If you can’t seem to see the way out, get into God’s Word and seek Him for a strategy. Perhaps ask a friend whom you trust for some wise counsel and pray to God for eyes to see that “EXIT” sign. Let’s give thanks for our faithful God who is actively involved in every detail of our lives, providing us with direction at every moment to do what is right in His sight by the power of His Holy Spirit.