Positioned for Temptation

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 14, 2017

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful.  2 Samuel 11:2

The allure of temptation has a lot to do with proximity. If we position ourselves to be tempted, there is a high probability we will drift toward its deception. It is unwise to be out of position and enjoy the cheap thrill of temptation. This is why we do not position our eyes in ways that lead to wayward behavior. Our eyes can be sentinels for our Savior, or they can be seducers of Satan. We have the choice, but God has given us His Holy Spirit to check our wrong positioning.

Beautiful people are easy on the eyes but they are not meant to mesmerize us into wrong thinking and, eventually, bad behavior. Temptation’s immediate gratification seems harmless, but once it has us in a vulnerable position, it pushes for more ground until it captures our heart. If we discover ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, we are at high risk for temptation.

However, wise Christians position themselves to faithfully follow Christ. Following the Lord does not free us from temptation, but He empowers us to flee when we encounter its pull. Following God is not always fun, but it is fruitful, as He keeps us from caving into our covetous and carnal cravings. We properly position ourselves toward God and away from temptation by prayer. It purges pride and our tendency to take temptation lightly.

It is also wise to position ourselves under the accountability of people. We cannot stand up to the seduction of temptation if we are secluded. Left to ourselves, we flirt with the fun that temptation offers at the outset, then get stung by its humiliation and hurt. We have all discovered that we do better when those around us remind us of the obvious. Temptation loves for us to ignore warnings and become obsessed with the foolishness of our own isolated thinking. Positioning ourselves away from authenticity with others is a recipe for disaster. We all do much better when others are watching us.

Therefore, you position yourself wisely when you use power for people, instead of using people for power. Persons are meant to be blessed, not abused by power. So, use your influence for the sole benefit of others, while trusting that God will meet your needs.

Otherwise, you are tempted to leverage others for yourself. You run ‘through relationships, and discard them like an old t-shirt. People become expedient for your own selfish desires, and your temptation to live for the moment becomes master. Therefore, stay positioned to serve others and fear God. Selfless love positions you away from the grasp of temptation’s talons. Above all else, do not depend on yourself alone. Discipline deteriorates without the forging fires of the Holy Spirit. With His wisdom and by His grace, avoid temptation’s invitation.

The Bible says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”   (1Corinthians 10:13, KJV).

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