Way of Escape

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)

All of us at some point in our lives have been tempted. We have been tempted by different things in different situations but the fact remains that temptations are a part of life. We do what we can to avoid them, but a temptation will still arise in our life somewhere, somehow. And being the imperfect humans that we are, we oftentimes give into that temptation and sin. That one time sin we commit can sometimes even turn into something habitual, or something we commit constantly. That’s kind of bleak isn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be!

As a struggling sinner myself, I constantly think about this verse (posted above). As I’ve said before in a previous post, I used to be an avid cusser. When I finally made the decision to try and kick that habit I had to figure out how to do it. The problem was that I let this become such a habit that it was near impossible for me to stop completely right away. A word would slip out every now and then and I would think: “Will I ever be able to stop?” Then I remembered 1 Corinthians 10:13. This part of the verse stuck out to me the most:

“…but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10.13b)

God will provide a way of escape! I thought and thought about how I was going to fix my problem. The answer was right here all along! God provides a way of escape for every temptation! It was up to me to find out what was causing me to cuss and run away from it using the “escape” route God had made available for me. 

Why does this matter to you? Temptations are a part of life. We all face them at some time or another and we’ve all given in at one time or another. That’s why it matters to you! This verse ought to encourage you! No matter what temptation you face you can take solace in the fact that God will provide for you a way of escape from that sin! 

Whenever I find myself getting wrapped up in a habitual sin I say this prayer:

 “God help me to find the way of escape that you have made for me in this sin.” 

I hope this was encouraging to you today. Remember that God will always provide you with a way to escape your temptations. You just have to want to take the exit! –Jack D.