There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
I rant about the SILLY and inappropriate statement that is made to me on a very regular basis but that's NOT what I'm going to write about. I'm going to write about "the way of escape"
Going through life and trials and temptations. we often think we have such a heavy burden. I know I feel overwhelmed with my life at times. Often people will tell me their problems or worries and then apologize since they feel my problems are worse. My problems may be different but that doesn't mean they are necessarily worse. Up until the accident, I was quite happy with my UN normal life. Actually I was thrilled with it and did not think of it as any type of burden or hardship. Sure things were different with three handicapped kids but it was a happy difference. No there were places we didn't go or things we didn't do BUT it was such a small sacrifice to be the parents of these wonderful little people!
We are still happy to be their parents, we just have a big hole in our hearts where we miss our Selah and the life we had with her before the accident. But I'm still honored to be her mommy and will take care of her with all that is within me and see that she has the very best of care always.
But I CHOSE to cling to Jesus through all of this. I CHOSE to make my home a happy home. I can't change the fact that my daughter suffered a brain injury BUT I can chose to love with all that is within me. I can still chose to show my kids how to trust God and not become bitter and angry. I still can chose to love my husband....
There may be things in your life that you can NOT change BUT God will make a way of escape. It might not be the way you would make but HE will make a way of escape!
For us, the way of escape we would chose, would be for Selah to be completely healed. But that might now happen and we have to trust in God's way of escape....which is to look to Him, and look towards eternity. He will make a way of escape so we can bear this temptation.
You might be thinking "they aren't tempted by anything, what does she mean??"
We ARE tempted! We are tempted to give up on God, to give up on each other, to be in a bad/sad mood, to be ANGRY, to hate, oh yes we have some temptations we have to fight in our lives!
One day when we were still in NY, I left the Ronald McD House by myself to drive to the hospital. I had my purse, some money and my passport. I actually was tempted to keep on driving....go to Canada...turn off my cell.... I'm telling you it hit me like a WAVE! I didn't want to live the life that was before me.....But God's peace came in and filled the van that day. He gave me a way to escape that temptation...and it wasn't to run off to Canada!
So I don't know you all but I can imagine some of you are going through some issues. Different than mine but still hard things. But GOD IS FAITHFUL!!! He has been faithful to me and He will be faithful to you!
My dear brother in law posted this uplifting quote on my FB page yesterday. I laughed so hard!
He so knows me!
It's just a funny take off the Serenity Prayer but there are situations that YOU can change!
Maybe you are in a bad relationship....GET OUT! (unless you are married...then get counseling!)
God can give you a way of escape IF you will take it!
Often times the way God gives us to escape is to REMOVE ourselves from the temptation....
Say you are tempted to watch dirty movies or go on porn sites....get rid of your tv and computer and focus on God's word, church, exercise....other things...
Sometimes when you FOCUS on the problem or sin, it is harder to stay away from it. It's like telling someone NOT to think of an elephant...and then that is the very thing the person thinks of.
When I was in high school and college, I became anorexic and bulimic. I fought it, gave into it, fought it....THEN a friend asked me to go street witnessing with her my sophomore year of college. I had never been and really didn't want to go....until I went! I became so focused on the homeless and the prostitutes needs that soon I found that battle of anorexic/bulimia was no longer a focus of my life. God gave me a way of escape by letting me see the needs of others! Within a year, my battle was won. It was amazing, working with street people and getting my mind off of ME, helped me to win a battle I'd fought for years!
I think of friends who are bound up in things. It's so easy for me to see a clear path that God has given them so they can escape that particular temptation in their life. But it is harder for them to take that path.
I firmly believe God will give you a way of escape from the temptations/torment in your life IF you LET Him!
Believe me....I know what it is like to give in to various temptations....I'm not really talking about sexual things here, although that is usually what one thinks when they think of temptation. But that is not always what the biggest temptation in your life can be! Right now my biggest temptation is to give into despair!
Despair could easily rule my life. Sometimes it does for a few hours or so. BUT GOD always gives me a way of escape!
I can not change things in my life, I can only change how I react to them.
You may be in a different situation where you can change things...maybe that is God's way of giving you a way of escape.
Pray and ask God for a way of escape from the temptations in your life....He is faithful!!!!!!
Beautiful witness, as always! Giving this a lot of thought, and taking it to prayer. Thank you!
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