Temptation: Handling it God's Way

Our passage today is 2 Timothy 2:1, 19, 22

When our children were younger, we attended a church where at every baptism, the pastor included  these words in his baptismal prayer:  "Lord, protect him/her from the perils of childhood and the temptations of youth." (I googled the phrase to see if I could credit someone 'famous' with it, but came up empty.)

That phrase has stayed with me as my own children experienced both the perils of childhood and the temptations of youth.  Perhaps my pastor was thinking of these verses in 2 Timothy when he prayed over babies as they were baptized.  It is near impossible to get through childhood without 'perils,' and 'temptations of youth' - they abound!  So how does Paul tell his young disciple, Timothy, he should navigate these treacherous waters?

1.  Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (v. 1).
2.  Cling to God's solid foundation and reject wickedness (v. 19).
3.  Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace (v. 22).
4.  Call on the Lord out of a pure heart (v. 22).

Yes, the perils, they will come.  And the temptations - they are all around us, even after we are fully grown and should know better.  But God doesn't give up on us.  He urges us to cling to Him.  He is our solid foundation.  Paul offers specific ways that we can cling:  pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace.

How can I do that this week?  Temptations will be waiting for me.  You know what they are.  Temptations to gossip, to laugh at another's failures, to look the other way when someone is cheating, to be silent when God is mocked, to envy another's success - and these are ones I can personally attest to!

Lord, help me to cling to you - to open my Bible and soak in your word, and then to live it out.  Protect me from the temptations that will surround me - help me to call on your name.  Amen. 

Especially between Friends

What to do When...You have to speak up.

Speaking the truth, in love, is anything but easy. There are times in everyone's life when they need to confront a friend or family member; when they must tell them they are in the wrong. None of us wants a loved one to get into trouble they can't get out of. We want the best for our best friends and our family, but we are prone to get off the track occasionally.

We are not perfect, and we need those who love us, to have the courage to speak into our lives, to correct, confront and courageously care for us.  That is why accountability partners are vital. Relationships with people we trust to face us down when we need it, to step in front of that speeding bullet called gossip, that is heading directly for our lips.

One of the most memorable accountability moments I had, early in my Christian walk, was when a friend stopped herself in mid-sentence and said, "Oh, this is gossip, let's change the subject." That was a life-changing moment for me, it happened over 20 years ago, but I can still see it unfolding before me.

King David had that gift, in the form of his friend Nathan.  Nathan was brave enough to confront the king - even if the king was his friend. And King David appreciated Nathan's honesty and recognized it as love. So, the question is, do you have someone in your life who loves you enough to be honest with you, to challenge bad behavior, and to question your motives? If you do, you have a friend indeed!

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. (Matthew 18:15)

Matthew 18:15-17

A Perfect World

Have you ever wondered what a perfect world might look like? Read the verses below to catch a glimpse of such a life. Take verse 13 for instance, "Live in peace with each other." Many of us enjoy this existence now, but there was a time when peace was anything but the rule of the day.  So much strife and worry had a hold of hearts that hadn't been properly introduced to Jesus.

Why, just this evening I was reminded of a time in my life when I enjoyed conflict and jumped at the chance to share a disparaging word about someone if it would take the heat off of me. My neighbor was relating some neighborhood gossip about new folks who moved in down the street. Of course she heard it from the woman across the way. I tried to brush it off, but she persisted, forcing me to call that behavior - gossip.

The ending portion of verse 15 reads: "...but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." The role of a disciple of Jesus Christ is to do the things that He did and say the things that He said. As we practice this style of living, we truly do live. There is peace, joy and harmony. People change when we treat them as Jesus would. People love us back when we love them as Jesus does.

Verses 16-18 are three of my favorites.  "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

So, what does your perfect world look like? Are there some verses you would like to share that can point out even more of what is in store for us when Christ returns.  Our world cannot be perfect until that time, but we can try to make our own little corner as faultless as possible for those we love and those God puts in our path to learn to love.

"The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you."

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

1 Corinthians 4:6-21

Paul certainly had his work cut out for him. The new church in Corinth was struggling, much like our churches today struggle.  Gossip and pride ran rampant.  One of the first things I had to deal with as a new believer was my habit of gossip.  Why do we do this; because we need to feel superior and important?  So, what that means is those who thrive on gossip are feeding their own inferiority complexes at the expense of others.

"Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)

No one has any right to boast about anything.  No one is better than anyone else.  God sent His Son to save everyone, not just certain special people.  No one is more special than his neighbor.  So, if I am Christian why do I sometimes feel superior to others?  I not only feel superior, I act that way as well. I am reminded of the words of Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life, “It is not all about me.”  Once I get over myself and my self-importance life will be sweeter and I will love my neighbor as myself.  The Golden Rule applies today too.


Read the 1 Corinthians 4:6-21 text here.  Listen to a reading of the 1 Corinthians 4:6-21 text here.