God and Temptation

Don't you really hate it when something bad happens to you and your first instinct is to be upset. You start feeding on that pain because it is something that you have felt for so long and you are comfortable with it. The bad feelings are like a warm scratchy blanket. It keeps you warm, but you wake up all scraped up. What's even worse is that you turn to God for relief, you search His word, and you find an answer. I'm sure your wondering how that could be bad. Normally it's not bad unless the answer is to suck it up and move on.

That is just what happened to me last night. I was upset about something and I turned to God's word for answers. I found the answer in the book of James, but it wasn't the answer I wanted. I wanted an answer like "It's ok" or "You deserved to get what you wanted and you're allowed to be upset". Good thing God doesn't always give us what we want, but always gives us what we need.

James 1:2-9 "(2)My brethern, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (9) Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:"

So this is telling me something that I already know, that I am going to be tempted but the hard part is to be joyful about it. It reminds me of the story of Paul and Silas when they were in prison singing the praises of God. I always thought that if I were put in prison for my faith that I could do the same thing. As you may or may not know, as they were singing the walls began to shake and their chains fell off. Looking at that story you might be tempted to think the same way I did. But could you keep doing that if the walls did not shake. Just because God released them, that doesn't mean He will release you. And still you must be joyful.

Then it tells us that the trying of faith takes patience and we are supposed to let patience work. Patience is one thing that I struggle with over and over again. In this day in age where everything is fast, it is hard to be patient for anything. We want our food to come quick, our information to come quick, and our healing from God to come quick. And if we don't hear immediately from God then we think we have done something wrong. There is a really good quote "God is rarely early, but he is never late". We must allow our patience to grow and work.

God then throws us a lifeline. He says that we can pray for wisdom. Wisdom is the greatest gift that can be given. When King Solomon was asked to be given anything that he desired, he asked God for wisdom, and he became one of the wisest men in the Bible. The trick is that we must ask unwavering. If you are not truly coming to God asking for wisdom in the most humble, selfless, childlike way then your prayer will not be answered.

James 1:12-17 "(12) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (16) Do not err, my beloved brethren. (17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

How many times have you hear, or even said, "I am being tempted by God". This set of verses is self explanatory for the most part. If God can't be tempted by evil, which is proven when Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, then he can't tempt others by evil.

This is really a love hate set of verses for me as an addict. It is so easy to slip back into the depression because it is comfortable, and it's hard to do the right thing. Even if your slip doesn't result in acting out, it is still getting you comfortable wanting that warm, scratchy blanket.

God Bless

To the Oppressed

There are many people, and I have counted myself one of them, who feel like their sins from their addictions are the lowest of the low. Nobody outside of the addicted could ever be on the same level as me. We as addicts, who have taken the proper steps to repent and truly seek recovery, tend to be harder on ourselves than anyone else. Either we don’t want to put ourselves out there for fear of being rebuked, or we had put ourselves out there and have been rebuked. For those who are suffering from oppression, either by your mind or another’s mouth, there is hope. I caution you on interpreting these passages. These are to ease your mind and soul, not to cast judgment on others.

James 2:8-11 "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law."

What James was saying that if you keep all the commandments except one that you have sinned against the law of God. So what does God say about sin?

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Ok so if we sin then we deserve death. That should only be us really bad people right?

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

So everyone has sinned. Everyone has come short of the glory of God. Am I saying that telling a lie is the same as murder? Yes I am. The Bible does not give us any distinction between sins. It does not say that one is better than the other. Sin is sin, and the wages of sin is death. But there is hope for the hopeless, and the believers.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross. He died so that we could ask for forgiveness and be forgiven.

So remember, those who are oppressed of who feel oppressed, there is always someone who loves you no matter how far you fall. And no matter how far you run away from Him, He will always be with you. If you are reading this and have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then I invite you to check my blog on "Getting Right with God".

One final note before you decide to strike those who have oppressed you. Remember with the following verses that if Jesus did not condemn the world, then who are we to do the same. Why should we judge, when we are called to love one another, as we love ourselves. For those who don't feel love for yourself, just remember the God in Heaven loves you more than anything else in the world. He is our Sheppard, and He will leave His whole flock just to find one lost sheep.

John 3:17 "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Matthew 7:1-4 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam in thine own eye?"

Thank you for reading, and God Bless.