Common Temptations

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

This verse is special to me because it means that I am not alone. So often, we think that our unique circumstances bar us from anyone who can understand. The truth is, though those around you might not have been through exactly the same situations, the temptations that you face because of them are common.

The best news? Christ doesn't leave His children to deal with our circumstances on our own. Christ will always give us the strength to follow Him. No matter what you're going through, Christ is with you, and has given you the other Christ followers in your life to identity with and support you. (This is, of course, a two-way street!) 

Do you surround yourself with Christians who will exhort you? Those who will "...restore one another in a spirit of gentleness..." and "bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1b, 2)? It's paramount as a christian to "...encourage one another and build one another up..." (1 Thessalonians 5:11), because we all need to be reminded of our Joy and Hope in Christ, even during the "good" times. Else, not only do we become discouraged, but we lose sight of our devotion to Christ - the One who gave us eternal life!

I thank the Lord and praise Him for common temptations. In His grace, He has reached out to us sinners, and provided a way for us to shore up against temptations. (Beyond that, even if we don't have others to help, He still promises to provide a way of escape!) May I recall this truth when loneliness next threatens.