1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) “No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (a,b,c, – Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.)
Every day, we face temptations or testing that materializes in one of these forms – lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life. (see 1 John 2:16) As followers of Christ, we have the assurance of knowing that the deadly three have no hold over us. We have the Holy Spirit and He’s available to help us make better choices and not give in to lust.
Lusts show up in our lives in many ways. It may be something as seemingly harmless as, “Hey those shoes are on sale, I’ve got to buy them. I know I need to pay my electric bill, but I really want those shoes.” It could also involve something as serious as, “I worked hard to get where I am and I don’t need anyone.” Lust can destroy the lives of others, “It was just a one night stand, my wife won’t know.”
Our heavenly Father knows about our struggles and that is why he created a way of escape or an exit door. The scripture above first tells us that we cannot possible encounter temptations or testing that no one else has ever had to endure.
Each of us like to think our struggles, hardships, challenges, and pain are unique and no one else has gone through what we have. The truth is there is nothing new under the sun and there is another person if not many people who have faced and lived through similar situations. With that in mind, we can be confident that we will get through anything the Lord allows to come our way.
He knew in advance what hardships, tests, and challenges each of us would face and in His infinite wisdom created an exit door. Not only does He know what we are facing but also He’s with us every step of the way and He will never let us down.
There have been many nights I’ve fallen to my knees crying out, “Father I can’t do this. I can’t take any more.” Each time, He knew that I could. The Father knows what He has put in each of us and to what limits He can test us.
Even when we fall prey to the three lusts, it’s because we ignore the exit door. Since that is the case, why do so many of us fail the tests? Why do we give in? If we are completely honest with ourselves, we give in because sin feels good for the moment and because we want to feel good. We just don’t like the consequences of sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NLT)
Some people fall prey to lust because of weakness, doubt of the Father’s love, low self-esteem and the list goes on. The good news is the Lord has given us our own personal exit door so that we will overcome and be victorious in every situation.
I love The Message bible’s translation of this verse, “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.”
You have an exit door. God is faithful to help you go through and will also be standing on the other side to help you come through.
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