Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
James 1:12
Every man faces temptations; however, the one that is blessed is the one that endures them and doesn’t give in… I was once told that the saddest thing about someone quitting a project or process is that they never realize how close they were to completing it. The same can be said of our Christian journey… The temptations we face appear to be the easy way out, but the reality is that you are so close to the blessings of God if you just hold on a little while longer… The things that catch your eye in this life will never satisfy the vision God has placed inside you… The difference between being blessed or not lies in the sacrifice and obedience that one has within… Daily, we all face decisions; however, the question we have to have at the heart of our decisions is to whom we are trying to please… You can only endure temptations if you have a heart's desire to please the Lord… Make no mistake about it, the story of your life is unique to you, but the challenges that you faced in getting to where you are now are quite similar to everyone on this journey… We all have been and will be tested; this is why James says “for when he is tried…” he doesn’t say if, but when; you can rest assured that in seeking to live according to the will of God Satan will try you…
He will try to paint a picture of gloom and doom and lead you down a path of destruction that will end with you throwing in the towel… Oftentimes we try to paint an image of Christianity without temptations or snares and this is why so many people can’t endure the rough terrain of this journey… I don’t know what your bible tells you, but the word of God that I read tells me that we will be persecuted, we will suffer, and we will endure hardships… We must stop relying on our own ability and start to allow God to move on our behalf… It doesn’t matter how strong you are, it doesn’t matter how tough you might appear to be, you cannot defeat this enemy on your own and this is why you are not called to overcome but to endure… To endure means that you bear, tolerate, or undergo; you must bear the storms in your life, you must tolerate the words of your adversary and undergo the battles of the opposition… Notice that in this enduring you are not called to fight back or engage… A lot of times we misunderstand endurance and confuse it with perseverance… You are not called to fight the enemy, you are called to speak Christ and let the Lord fight your battles… So just hold on, be strong, and of good courage, we have to be tested, but there is a tremendous reward if we continue to pass the test!
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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