I can remember it well, it was the first day I was tempted strongly to skip school. I was a student athlete so I knew I had coaches and an athletic director checking up on me regularly. I had several friends that were not any type of student at all, they were just scraping their way by so it didn't matter that much to them. For over a full year they had been trying to get me to skip with them and I resisted each time. I stood my ground and avoided it altogether. THen, one day I was really bummed, really run down and ready to get away from school for a while. Those friends of mine helped me park my car where it would be easy to get out, and easy to get back in later. I walked to my first class and my baseball coach passed me and asked where my car was. He knew I had a preferred parking space and I parked there every day, if I was late it would still be there because that was where I parked. I told him I was a little late and parked elsewhere, which was true, I was late because I didn't want everyone to see what was going on.
Then after first period we were supposed to make our getaway. I walked out to the other parking lot and got into my car with my buddy. I put the key in and the car wouldn't start. I couldn't believe it, my car wouldn't start so we had to make a decision. We decided to go to someone else who was skipping and get into their car which was parked off campus and guess what! He had a flat and couldn't make a getaway either. So here we were, the class bell about to ring and we're down the road at someone's house with a car and a flat tire. I quickly dig through his trunk and find his jack, get the spare out and get him all set to roll and we take off. I show back up on campus shortly after lunch and go on about my day. It was official I was a skipper, I had mastered it and now I was ready to boldly keep it up.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it.
So as I break down this verse and think about my temptation to skip school I had resisted it for some time. It had never really bothered me too much, school always came easy to me, I was a pretty fun kid who could have fun doing almost anything. But here I was really feeling the weight of this temptation. I fully knew that every kid was probably tempted at some point to do this, so yes it was a temptation that was common to man. God did not allow me to be tempted to a point of breaking. My buddies who skipped would respect my no each time and then just invite me again a few weeks later. No peer pressure, or pushing was used. Then, I caved in and I was ready to do it. First, my coach notices something strange and I am given a chance to back out of it just because my coach noticed. The other guys fully expected me to back out when that happened, and I could have and not been questioned at all. Next, my car wouldn't start so I could just say, it isn't meant to be and walk back into school and go on with my school day. Finally, my buddy's tire was flat.
God gave me 3 opportunites to get away from the temptation that very day. And as I look back over my life I am ever so thankful for the times that God has given me a way out of the sin that I was tempted to commit. All through time I can think of instances where I was tempted and then something came up.
Another one that comes to mind is during my sermon preparation a few weeks ago, I really wanted to see what was going on at a big race I had wanted to attend but couldn't. It was eating me up, so I pushed my Bible and my commentaries aside and jumped on the internet to see what was up in Tennessee at the race. I got to teh website that would have regular updates and the computer shut off. The battery was dead and I had forgotten to bring the cord in so I was stuck. I chuckled a little then gently lowered the laptop lid closed and went on with my sermon.
So when the temptation strikes, remember that you are not tempted beyond what you can resist, God will not let it happen. And, even when you do start to cave in God gives you a way out of it every time. Look back at the last time you caved in on something, and let temptation entice you and lead you away. I gaurantee you there was a way out of it, you just didn't take advantage of it.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
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