No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. (1 Cor. 10:13)
AN OLD SPIRITUAL says that nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen—nobody but Jesus. That sums up salvation in one sentence, doesn’t it? God, in His infinite wisdom, knows all and sees all. He knows all about the struggles and temptations we face, and He’s provided the way we need to move out from under those troubles.
When your friends—or the ones you are trying so hard to be friends with—egg you on to do something, standing up and saying, “No, it’s not right” can be really tough. It is difficult to say you can’t go fishing on Sunday morning or stay up late partying on Saturday night because you go to church. We all face pressure to be like the crowd, no matter what our age.
Christ calls us to be the light shining in the darkness, not to blend in to the darkness. And, even though He never sinned, He knows all about temptations. Being a Christian will not make the temptations themselves go away. However, Christ’s Spirit within you will arm you with the courage and strength to say no and leave those temptations behind. Call out for Christ, and He will stand by you. And when God is with you, who can stand against you?
When you feel pushed to do something that goes against your convictions, call on Jesus.
Julie B. Cosgrove is a widowed Christian author and speaker living in Fort Worth, Texas. She has one son and two cats, and is involved with women’s and outreach ministries.
