March 18, 2016
When to Walk Away
God
is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. — 1 Corinthians 10:13
Read:
Genesis 39:1-12
When my father became a Christian in his old age, he
fascinated me with his plan for overcoming temptation. Sometimes he just walked
away! For example, whenever a disagreement between him and a neighbor began to
degenerate into a quarrel, my father just walked away for a time rather than be
tempted to advance the quarrel.
One day he met with
some friends who ordered pito (a locally brewed alcoholic beer). My father had
formerly struggled with alcohol and had decided he was better off without it.
So he simply stood up, said his goodbyes, and left the gathering of old friends
for another day.
In Genesis, we read
how Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph. He immediately recognized that giving in
would cause him to “sin against God,” so he fled (Gen. 39:9-12).
Temptation knocks
often at our door. Sometimes it comes from our own desires, other times through
the situations and people we encounter. As Paul told the Corinthians, “No
temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” But he also
wrote, “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
endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
The “way out” may
include removing the objects of temptation or fleeing from them. Our best
course of action may be to simply walk away.
Lord, please give me the wisdom and strength to know when to
walk away from situations and people that tempt me to do wrong.
Every temptation is an opportunity to flee to God.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2016
