January 12, 2022 – Click here to listen
Everyone is tempted to do the wrong thing from time to time. How we react to temptation, particularly if we are Christians can make a big difference in our own lives, and as is often the case, will affect other lives as well. The following true story submitted by Robert Davis demonstrates this point well.
“Several years ago, a pastor friend of mine moved to Houston Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him ten cents too much change. As he considered what to do, there alternately appeared to him little angelic figures sitting on his shoulders and whispering instructions into his ears. One said, “You better give the dime back, it would be wrong to keep it.” On the other shoulder a voice said, “Oh forget it. It’s just ten cents. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company already gets too much fare. With their millions every day they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet.”
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the front door, and as he handed the driver the dime he said, “Here, you handed me too much change.”
The driver replied, “You’re the new pastor in town, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” the pastor replied.
The driver said, “I’ve been thinking lately about going to church somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you ten cents too much change. Looks like I found my church.”
When my friend stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, and held on, and said, “O God, I almost sold your Son for ten cents.”
Not long ago I ordered a light for my boat so I can see at night with my fading vision. They mistakenly sent me two instead of one. I needed one for my small boat for night tarpon fishing too, but they were expensive and I’d decided to hold off.
I admit was tempted for a brief moment just to keep the light and use it on my small boat but only for a few seconds. I mumbled, “Get behind me Satan,” and didn’t so much as hesitate in calling the guy who sold the lights and telling him what had happened. He told me he would have never been able to find out what happened because his printer had malfunctioned during a power outage and printed two shipping labels instead of one. There was no record of it! I thought to myself, oh yes, there is a record alright, Jesus is watching. I told him I needed to order another one for my small boat and he discounted it heavily and I sent him a check.
Being tempted is not a sin. It is falling to temptation that is the sin. Many folks mistakenly believe that it is God that tempts us. Not so, all temptation comes from Satan. God will always provide an escape route and never allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist it. This is comforting, yet disconcerting to me.
Why? Because on those occasions that I’m tempted and instead of doing the right thing I do succumb to temptation, I realize that if I had more self-control and would have tried a little harder, I would have been able to find the provided escape route and avoided disappointing my Father by sinning.
Thank God for grace. Without it we would all be lost! Even the Apostle Paul lamented that he on occasion failed his Lord. Romans 7:15 – “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” . . . He hated sin just like I hate sin. He was frustrated when he failed just like I am frustrated when I fail.
But God . . . He understands.
Make every effort not to succumb to temptation and look hard for your escape route and take it, but if you do fail, immediately pray and ask for forgiveness and repent from making that same mistake again. Try harder the next go around and make your Father in heaven proud.
1 Cor. 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you
except such as is common to man,
but God is faithful, who will not
allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way
of escape, that you may be able to
bear it.