Endure It.

1/14/2017
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” – I Corinthians 10:12-13

This is a passage of scripture that I have heard hundreds of times. It’s been told to me and I've given it to others as well. In fact, I have even given a short little message to our youth group about it before. However, as I was reading it today, a couple things struck me. (Side note: I love how you can read certain verses and passages a hundred times over and think you have it down and then the Holy Spirit just enlightens you and opens your eyes to something on the hundred and first time reading it. God is so cool.) First, I was reminded to never become so secure in where I am standing that I think I have it all together. We must always, “Be alert and of sober mind,” because “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). Often times, in my life, the times when I think I am doing really well, are when the devil hits me the hardest and I’m not ready for it. So don’t get complacent. Secondly, I love that Paul encourages us by saying that we aren’t alone. We aren’t the only one facing this temptation or that temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” This was really encouraging to me because most of the time, I feel like I’m the only one who struggles with certain temptations. But I was reminded and reassured that is not the case. As Christians, we do not have to go through pain and struggles and temptation alone. We are called to lift one another up in prayer to be there for one another, helping and strengthening our brothers and sisters. The beauty of being a part of the body of Christ is that we never have to go through life alone. Thirdly and quickly, I was reminded and encouraged that no matter what I’m up against, no matter how strong the temptation, with Christ, I can bear it. I can get through it. He will not give me more than I can handle. How great of a thought that all those times we face something that we think there is no way we can do it or get through it, God says we can. Now, this is when things got interesting for me as I read this passage. “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” How many times have you heard someone share that God will give you a way out, an escape from your temptation? I know whenever I have heard someone telling me this or when I've told it to other people, we always stop there, “He will also provide a way out.” Period. We don’t finish the verse, “so that you can endure it” (emphasis added). I read this today and it stopped me in my tracks. Endure it? Wait a minute; I thought he gave us a way out? Doesn’t that mean we don’t have to deal with it? Can’t we just pass over it or skip through it? Why does it say endure it? Google (don’t you love Google) defines endure like this: “1. suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently. 2. remain in existence; last.” What are you saying, Wyatt? Good question. I think a lot of times we read this verse and when we are struggling or facing temptation, we or someone else might pray this verse over you or share it with you to encourage you that God will give you a way out. But that’s it, we don’t finish the verse. So we build up a false sense of what should happen or what God will do. We just assume that we will look up and see a red “Exit” sign and that’s it, an easy way out. We get upset with God if that’s not the case. “Where’s my help, God? Why did I fall into this temptation? Where was my way out?” Read the rest of the verse! “So that you can endure it.” His way out may not be completely avoiding the temptation. It may be a friend who enters into the situation with you to help you through it. It may be a book or a quote or a verse that speaks to you and encourages you through it. It may be a change of perspective about the situation. It could be any number of things, friends, but I’m convinced that it is not always going to be an easy-button exit. When are we ever told that the Christian life would be easy? So why should we expect an easy way out of our temptations? Now, I’m not denying God’s miracle working ability or doubting his providential ways. Maybe in your life, He has given you an easy way out, praise God for that, but let’s not think that that will always be the case. Let’s be encouraged and evaluate our struggles and circumstances and see if maybe God has given us a way out, “so that we can endure whatever temptations or struggles we are facing. 

Personal Notes.

9/1/2016

Reading: Acts 17 & 18

Acts 18: 9 & 10 – “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Don’t be discouraged, don’t stay silent, God is always working and we are in HIS hands. To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

Do I really live my life this way? Do I really see dying as gain? Do I live my life as if it is Christ’s? Do I do all things to and for HIS glory? Do I openly share the Gospel? Is evangelism my top priority? Do I actively try to bring the Good News into every conversation and relationship? Do I devote myself to prayer? Do I spend time every day in the Word? Do I put my time with Jesus before everything else? Do I even make time for Him? What am I pursuing? How do my actions, my thoughts, my life reflect my relationship with Christ? What keeps me from following Him wholeheartedly? What am I scared of? Why do I sit silent? Why do I not share this life-changing and life-saving news? Am I afraid of failure? Is it failure if I they don’t accept it or reject it? Or is it failure if I don’t even share it? Am I afraid of what it may cost? Am I afraid what they may think of me? Am I afraid of what God may call me into? Am I afraid of what the Holy Spirit may convict me of? Am I too in love with my sins to give them up? Am I too in love with being comfortable and content with my life as it is, rather than letting it go to experience all that God has for me?

These are the questions that need answered. These are the questions that I really need to be honest with myself about. These are the questions, that no matter how much they cut to my core, no matter how uncomfortable they make me feel, no matter how much they convict me and challenge me to change, to give up my life for the sake of Christ, I need to answer.

Lord, Jesus, I need you now. I need your strength. I need your patience. I need your guidance. I need your boldness. I need your humility. I need your forgiveness. I need your conviction. I need your discipline. I need your persistence and perseverance. Lord, I need you now more than ever. Please come and help me be honest with myself. Help me to be real with myself. What is this life about? It’s not about me. It’s about you. It’s all about You. Come, Lord Jesus and wreck my life with the truth of Your Word and bring me out of this self-satisfying life, into a life that is dedicated and devoted to growing, learning, and sharing about You, the one and only thing that really matters.

Pure Joy.

7/1/2016

When you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, what is your initial response? When you’re face to face with struggle, trials and tribulations, pain, hurt, doubt, how do you respond?

What do you do? Do you say things like, “I wish I could just fast forward through this?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” Maybe you ask God why he is doing this or allowing this to happen.

All too often are initial responses to struggles and to testing trails is to question them, to get mad or frustrated with them. But why is it that it’s not until after we go through it, that we look back and say, “Oh, now I see, God. Now I get why I had to go through that.” Why can’t we respond that way during it? Did God tell us that we won’t face trials? Did He say it would be an easy life? I think there is a reason that we are told to “rejoice always” and “pray continually,” multiple times in the Bible. Life is hard. Life sucks sometimes. Life can knock you down, it can throw you a curveball when you’re thinking fastball, and it can throw you one up in, knocking you back off the plate. Just when you think you have it figured out, something goes wrong, something doesn’t go the way you thought it would. The question is, how do you respond?

I’m guilty of letting it get the best of me all too often. I get angry, I get frustrated, I get depressed. But now, I’m challenging myself, and you, to choose joy. James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Consider it what?! Pure joy? God you can’t be for real? There’s no way. That’s too hard. You don’t understand what happened.

Yes, consider it pure joy, child, because I am perfecting you. I am doing more inside of you than you could ever ask or imagine. I am refining you through the flame.

That’s my challenge to you and to me. Consider it pure joy.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”

- II Corinthians 4:6-12