Subtle Tempations

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

When Pastor Dirk asked us to think of our own personal temptations on Sunday morning, I found it difficult to identify a temptation that currently affects my life. During my high school and college years the temptations were much more tangible—experiencing physical intimacy within a relationship, indulging in unhealthy or illegal substances, and cheating or procrastinating on schoolwork. Today I am married with a full-time job and have moved past many of those more obvious temptations, so I had to ask myself and search deep in my heart: what things are tempting me now?

Photo Credit: Flickr User chany14, Creative Commons

As we read in Luke 4, Jesus was tempted by the devil in three ways, and each time he quoted the book of Deuteronomy to resist the temptation. What’s interesting about Jesus’s use of Deuteronomy is that Moses wrote this book as his farewell to the Israelites who would be led into the Promised Land. It was written as a warning about what to do in times of plenty, in times where reliance on God isn’t as evident as having breakfast provided in the desert every morning for forty years.

If we understand this context, it illuminates the ways in which Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert: he was tempted by good things. The temptation to turn stone into bread could have satisfied his physical hunger and given Him strength in the desert. The temptation to own all of the earthly kingdoms could have resulted in Jesus’s more apparent reign on earth. Finally, the temptation to allow God to perform a miracle and show that Jesus is the Messiah could have spread the truth to many who might not have believed.

However, all of these temptations were shortcuts that attempted to redirect God’s plan and control His will. Jesus resisted these temptations by quoting scripture and adhering to God’s ultimate plan for our salvation: Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. In these moments of temptation, we can clearly see Jesus’s humanity as he is lured to instant gratification for things in this world as we often are today.

I returned to thinking about what kind of temptations I face in my daily life and God revealed to me so many instances when I fail to trust in Him and try to control my own circumstances. I give in to the temptation of discontentment when I see others my age owning their first home and working at their “dream job.” I view these things as the destination and try desperately to get there faster rather than appreciating the roof over my head and my stable job. I give in to the temptation of jealousy when I see other moms who can “do it all”—work at a job they love, spend time with their kids, volunteer at church, and somehow manage to keep an organized home. Instead, I should be praising God for giving me family that is close to home who I can spend time with every week.

It’s easy to give in to the temptation of comparison and selfishness in our day-to-day lives as we strive to plan a life that is fulfilling on earth. But rather than taking shortcuts and cheating, coveting, or sinning to get ahead, maybe we should consider to experience the grace that God provides to us daily. He allows us to have the freedom to avoid the consequences of sin and so often we take advantage of that grace. This week I encourage us to simply resist the temptation to take shortcuts and instead to follow in the footsteps of God and trust that His way is truly greater than ours. What not-so-obvious temptations are you facing in your life? Are there ways in which you can use God’s Word to resist these temptations and adhere to His will?


[Megan Stephenson is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University and works for a private education group in Grand Rapids as an Assistant Registrar. She loves spending time with her husband, Ben, trying out new breweries, restaurants, and local attractions. She also self-identifies as a crazy cat lady, despite owning no cats of her own, thanks to her loving and allergic husband.]