“I prayed, and continue to pray, for God to keep me from drinking, cheating, lying, stealing, and gambling on a daily basis. I began to look for God in my life, and for the first time ever, actually believed I felt him working in me.” – excerpt from John’s Story – Celebrate Recovery
There’s a part of John’s struggle in the quote above that resonates within each of us. The need to fill the voids in our lives is incredibly strong, and can overtake us even when we don’t want to do it anymore. That’s where Jesus steps in. God has set everything in place to help us resist and redirect when we’re faced with temptations. With every temptation, He provides a way of escape so that we can move past it.
In His devotion and love for us, God has set everything in place for us to experience the victory over our temptations, be they addictions, gambling, anger, sexual, unhealthy choices, frivolous spending….you name it. We’re not going to surprise God with what we are tempted to do. When He sent Jesus to earth, and He took on all the limitations of our human desires, He was also tempted in every way that we are. Jesus was hungry, tired, abused, angry, misunderstood, single, rejected, yet….He resisted sin. He gets it. That’s why we can turn to Him when we can’t seem to resist the urge to drink, find a high, indulge…only Him. He’s the One that will show us the path around the temptation. He’s the One that can help us.
We will never be tempted beyond our ability to resist, and He will always provide the way of escape. We have to look for it, but it’s there. My experience has been that it’s often a split second thought that reminds me of who I am, and it’s enough to make me hesitate. If I grab the opportunity to resist in the hesitation, I’m able to walk away. If I ignore it, then I cave. It gets easier to recognize the “outs” with a lot of prayer and practice. I’m not shy about asking Him to show me, either. Everyone gets tempted, everyone falls at some point to some degree, everyone needs to be rescued. You are not alone. Ask Him to help you resist whatever it is that you’re struggling to quit. Comment below and we’ll stand with you, too. You are not alone.
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What is it you’re facing? Nobody goes into battle alone. We can stand with you. Let us know in the comments below how we can pray for you, or by submitting your story.
He will fight for you.
Hope Shack 