I had a realization last night. It was one of those things where you think of something you've always known in a slightly different light and suddenly you find yourself blown away.
I was chatting to one of the woman at church about Jesus. About how He was 100% human, so He faced all the temptations we face. About how He was also 100% divine, so He never gave in to those temptations.
And it struck me, as we spoke, that that meant Jesus was tempted by sex.
It also struck me that it meant Jesus was tempted to be discouraged over His singleness. To be discontent with His lot in life. (And let's face it, which of us would be content knowing that our life was lived for the purpose of dying to save a bunch of people who didn't care in the least?)
Yeah, He face sexual temptation. And discontentment temptation. And selfishness temptation. And laziness temptation. And gluttony temptation. And lying temptation. And every temptation under the sun.
And He stood firm.
He did not once compromise His godliness and sinlessness.
And somehow we think there's this big no-no when it comes to temptations. As though admitting we even have them makes us look weak, never mind actually giving into them.
There's a shame that goes with being tempted. How dare that good Christian boy/girl struggle against the temptation to think lustfully? How dare that good Christian boy/girl struggle against the temptation to lie? To steal? To (fill blank with your biggest temptation)?
And it's a shame that stops us from talking to each other. But even worse, it's a shame that stops us from talking to God?
And how crazy is that when God as man was tempted in just the same ways we are?
Why do we have this nutso idea that we can only come to God when we've got everything right?
Why do we think the Church is a boarding house for saints when really it's the ER for sinners?
Why does the Christian who doesn't have it all together get condemned and judged by other Christians? Maybe it's because we're all hoping that if people are looking at others they will be too busy to look at us.
Too busy to see that we really should not put that DVD into the player because oh my word does it make us hate our lives.
Too busy to see that we really should not read that book because the amount of time we spend pouring over that sex scene is, well, sinful.
Too busy to see that we really should not go on Youtube because it just sucks all of our time away.
Too busy to see all those little temptations we face. Too busy to see all those little ways we give into them.
And maybe, if they don't see them, then God doesn't and we'll still be acceptable as His child...
And suddenly, we're not going to God with empty hands. We're going to God with hands hidden behind our backs clutching guilt and shame. And how are we meant to cling to the cross like that?
And so we don't talk about it. We don't pray about it. And all the while we're slowly dying and God is calling "While you were still sinners, I died for you. Not after you got it all together, while you were still sinners. Nothing can separate you from my love, not even that temptation, that sin you think you're hiding from me.
"Let go of it. Let me take it away. Just trust in my grace."
O, my dear, dear friend, I'm as guilty of this as everybody else. I think I have to go to God with all my problems solved. As if the Creator of the Universe doesn't already have the solution.
I think I somehow have to not be tempted so that will accept me. As if the God who became a man doesn't know what temptation is. Doesn't know how to fight it.
And when every day is a battle against something, why don't I go to my commander for advice?
When every day is filled with guilt, why don't I let go and trust God when He promises that nothing, nothing will ever separate us from Him as long as we cling to Him?
When every day is full of weariness and exhaustion, why don't we answer when God says "come to me, you who are weary, and I will give you rest?"
So, next time we face temptation, why don't we pray?
Why don't we pray to the God who understands because He was a man?
Why don't we pray to the God who faced temptation and won?
Why don't we pray to the God who counts us as righteous because of the blood of Christ?
Why don't we pray to the God who chose us to be heirs of eternal life in the full knowledge that we would be sinful?
Why don't we pray to the God who already knows every little detail about us - and has proved He loves us anyway?
Life is a battle against spiritual forces - so let's fight as we are. Members of the family that has already won, because of the Father who defeated death and sin and temptation.
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