How To Keep The Birds From Nesting In Your Hair

My Utmost For His Highest

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man…” —1 Corinthians 10:13

“The word temptation has come to mean something bad to us today, but we tend to use the word in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Not to be tempted would mean that we were already so shameful that we would be beneath contempt. Yet many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to suffer, simply because we have refused to allow God to lift us to a higher level where we would face temptations of another kind.  A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level of his own temptation, because temptation will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling, inner nature.” CHAMBERS

Temptation is a spiritual reality that can have both spiritual and physical consequences.  But, 1 Corinthians 10:13 goes on to say that God has made a way for us to escape temptation .. It is a spiritual solution … Psalm 119:11 says “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”  Before you were born again, to escape temptation, you had to rely on your will power .. or in this case I guess it is your “won’t” power.  Since you are a Christian now, I think you understand the futility of that solution to temptation.  But, if you are not taking God’s way to escape, you are no better off now than you were before when you were not saved. 

Temptation is not sin, but rather it is like a seed planted the yields the fruit of sin.  (James 1:13-15) “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…” And what are those evil desires?  (1 John 2:16) “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”  Temptation finds a foothold in us in because our old nature craves that we think will give us satisfaction, what we see, and the belief that we deserve more than what we have .. relationships, possessions, health.  Pastor Greg Laurie once said, temptation is like a bird flying overhead.  You can’t keep it from flying over you, but you can keep it from making a nest in your hair. When you are tempted is not the time to grab your Bible, you will resist temptation when the Word, the sword of the Spirit, is in you. (Joshua 1:8) “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)