Passage: 1 Corth 10:1-22
Today’s blog is going to be short and sweet as I head into an insanely busy weekend. I will not be able to blog on Sunday but please don’t miss out listening to sermon if you have some time.
The verses that really spoke to me this week was verses 12, 13.
12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
These verses are not new to me. Since recovering from over spender and depression/anxiety these verses have been a part of my life for a long time. What I never noticed before in this verse was that in the NLT version verse 13 is translated “The temptations in your life are no different form what others experience.”
I love that translation. It makes me more confident that surely I am not the only person with these struggles and when I went to Celebrate Recovery I realized I was right. Many people there share in the same struggles I have had. It was so comforting and it gave me so much hope to meet people at different stages of their recovery. I love how this verse also helps me to feel as though I am not alone in the battle against my temptations. We are all in it together. It’s also a good reminder not to judge others or look down at anyone because just when I think I am standing strong I could just easily fall.
One thing that I learned in CR (Celebrate Recovery) is that it’s important to learn what your triggers are for your temptations. One of my triggers is stress so when I am stressed I DO NOT go shopping. In fact if I have to go shopping during a stressful time I make a list and stick to it. But if I can avoid the stores and the malls than I do. Some people hang on to their temptations and continue to fall over and over because they are afraid to change. It could be because: it’s the thing that defines who they are, it may be a coping mechanism, it’s a source of comfort, it’s a routine, or a place of escape. For me Homesense was my place of escape and later became a routine way for me to cope. I encourage you to think about something in your life that needs to change. Perhaps a temptation that you have fallen into. Our confessions and transparency become our weapons of warfare. Talk to someone and confess your sin. You can read how seriously God takes sin in this chapter in the way He has dealt with it in the past. He is still the same God today.
Perhaps later this weekend I may blog about the marriage conference that our Church is hosting tomorrow but until than…
In the clay,
Chantal Dube