“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
Some environments are natural habitats for temptation to thrive. Sometimes, we find ourselves in such environments, and because we can’t see other options, we stay there and try to fight.
Manipulated figures, bloated invoices, hidden costs, unfulfilled promises, and defacing the competition are all examples of actions we get tempted to do as we work and serve others. We call them business practices.
Yes, I didn’t mention acts like rape or drug addiction because we already jump at them as apparent sins and tend to judge people who do them. However, the business practices listed above are also acts of lying, theft, going against our word, and deception. They’re all in the same category.
We all need God’s mercy and must believe that even when we’re faced with carrying out such practices, He can help us stand.
Will you fall a few times? Yes, especially when you feel powerless and your income is on the line. The money you expect by the end of the month becomes more important than the temptation, so you “manage” it and ask God for forgiveness afterwards. I have done this one too many times and am not proud of it.
But I have seen that sometimes recognising the looming temptation and praying for a way out ahead of time helps us escape.
How can we trust God’s faithfulness to overcome temptations as we work?
I have learnt that we allow our experiences into our lives. We are in specific environments because we allow ourselves to stay in them. Some people will do everything possible to exit such environments. If they can, why can’t we?
When we stay in such places and give in to the same temptations every time, we eventually stop seeing such acts as temptations. Our conscience would still nudge us, telling us the action is wrong, but we won’t give in.
Eventually, our hearts harden, and we forget what sin looks like. When new people enter such environments and attempt to stand their ground, you’ll see fellow believers say things like, “But I’m a Christian like you; why are you being so difficult?”
God has promised that we will always possess the strength to stand against temptation, and He’ll provide a way out. To trust Him, we only have to do one thing: obey His word.
When we know what God’s word says about integrity, speaking the truth, and staying in the counsel of the godly, we’ll know who to take advice from and will overcome when necessary. But when we don’t understand His word, anything goes.
“I rise above temptation.”
We are to rise above and stand over whatever would challenge our faith. David did this when he stood over Goliath to cut off his head.
When we always give in to temptation, we cannot fully take advantage of all God has for us through Christ. May the Lord help us win every time.
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