December 4:
Genesis 3:8-15 “Then
the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the
garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees
of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are
you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was
afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who
told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you
not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here
with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate
it." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this
you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I
ate." So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you
have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild
animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of
your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike
his heel."
The title is a quote by Mark Twain regarding temptation. According to
the dictionary, a temptation is a “desire, urge, itch, impulse, or inclination
to do something, particularly something unwise or wrong.” Since we are humans,
all of our impulses and inclinations are of, about, and for the benefit of
self. Likewise, since temptations are
impulses and inclinations – seemingly instinctual and visceral, how can they
then be classified as wrong?
From the
moment we take our first breath, our self-involved nature is evident. As babies, we cry when we are wet, cold,
hungry, and/or bored. We want and demand
that our needs and desires be addressed first.
That’s not to say that these aren’t appropriate reactions for babies.
Without them, babies would surely die.
However, as
we age, it is expected that we humans become less self-centered and more
others-oriented. Parents and teachers
demonstrate and reinforce the mores and expectations regarding social interaction,
many of which address the concept of putting others before self. Religious dogma
aside, these attitudes and practices are necessities; humans need to work
together in order to survive and thrive.
For
believers, dying to self is a non-negotiable option. "I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20)
As Oswald Chambers
writes, “I am called to live in perfect relationship to God so that my life
produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration of myself. Thoughts
about myself hinder my usefulness to God.”
In John 3:30, it
says, “He must increase [which means that] I must decrease.” If we allow our
selfish desires, thoughts, and aspirations to persist, self totally eclipses
God. Only one persona can exist and call the shots, and God has made it crystal
clear which persona that must be.
Therefore, temptation
is just that because we are allowing our selfish natures and desires to pull
ahead of our relationship with God. This was definitely true of both Adam and
Eve. Their desires to become more like God superseded their relationships with
Him. The result of their choices was a
heavy consequence – a penalty that ended in death for mankind. Not only did that penalty demand the physical
death of mankind; it also represented the death or dissolution of the intimate
relationship that had previously existed between Adam and Eve and God.
Fortunately, the God
we serve is a God of second (and third and fourth and. .) chances, so He
provided a Way for mankind to be reconciled with Himself. First, He sent His
only Son, as an infant, to show mankind the way to live. Secondly, He died for
the sin of the world so that we would be able to be spent eternity with God,
and third, He sent His Holy Spirit as an intimate Friend/Advisor until He returns.
Like us, Christ
started as an infant, survived childhood, endured adolescence, and matured into
an adult. As he passed through the various stages of life, He modeled how
mankind should age, mature and grow.
As part of that
process, He, too, was tempted. Because
He was/is infallible, the temptations were a lesson in futility; there was no
way He was getting sucked into that game. As usual, He allowed Himself to be
tempted so that He could show us what do when WE were faced with temptation. Even when He left the Earth, He made sure that
we were/are prepared for every contingency.
“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” (I Corinthians
10:13).
When it comes to
temptation, the choice is completely ours.
We choose selfishness, or we choose Godliness. We choose stay firm in
Christ, or we choose to fall. There is
only one or the other, never both.
“Great is His
faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23).
Even when we fail,
God’s faithfulness continues.
Forgiveness is available, as is an opportunity to begin anew. If we aren’t already, we should be humbled by
God’s generosity. Still to this day, He is modeling the blessings and benefits
of a selfless nature. We have been given more gifts than we deserve. It’s truly
Christmas every day.
Challenge: Eat a meal
with someone new. Wherever you are, you
may have a specific group of people whom you enjoy hanging out with at lunch,
between classes, after school, or on the weekends. Whom can you invite to join you?
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