Temptation & Trust

On Sunday we began a journey with Jesus into the wilderness and encountered His testing together. As we engaged in this experience we began to understand our own temptation for more and More and MORE stuff - how this temptation is rooted in misplaced desires, which leads to destructive habits. If we allow our insatiable appetite to continue to consume all the "stuff" rather than being sated by the Bread of Life then we will end up as the "enemies of the Cross" that Paul describes in Philippians 3:18-19, "18For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things."

With all of that said, it occurred in my reading today that ultimately our response to temptation depends upon our level of trust. For instance, when I was a boy I really wanted a soda one day...I mean there was a burning desire within me to consume that Dr. Pepper. (This is still a weakness of mine.) I also had this unique knowledge that my mother kept large amounts of change in a jar in her room. She was a waitress so she would get lots of small bills and change in tips, she would fill up a large jar then take it in to be deposited (that was her method of saving money.)

Well, I thought to myself, I'm pretty sure mom won't give me the money to get a soda, she doesn't want me to rot my teeth or anything - you can already see where this is going - so I took it from her jar knowing that she would never know the difference. That one soda turned into two, three, four...I continued syphoning change from my mom for some time. (I don't know if I ever told her this. Mom, if you happen to read this blog I owe you at least $20 in change.) Anyway, there is a point to this I promise, my response to the temptation displayed a lack of trust that my mother would give me what I wanted if I asked, and more than that a lack of trust that she wanted what was best for me. If she were to say, "No!" I should have trusted her judgment, but my distrust lead to wrong behavior. I was overcome by temptation because I did not trust.

When I think of human trust one particular figure always comes to mind. He is listed as one of the heroes of trust in the "trust chapter" in Hebrews. "By trust Abraham obeyed..." (Hebrews 11:8) This type of trust takes time to develop. In Genesis 15, God comes to Abraham and says, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." By the way, this is always the pattern, God initiates the encounter and Abram (his name had not changed yet) responds. What's his response, "Okay God, that's nice and all, but didn't you promise me a son and all kinds of offspring...I'm getting old, my wife is getting old, so no offence, but why should I listen to you. My servants are having kids, you seem to be blessing them alright, I guess that I'll just have to leave all my stuff to them."

There is a change that takes place in the next few verses. God says, "Quit your complaining that's not how its going to go down." And then he takes him outside and says, "Look at all the stars...can you even count them. Yeah, I did that and I can certainly do this. That is how your descendants will be." Then the text says, Abram believed - he trusted the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

As the story continues, it doesn't seem that this whole trusting business was easy and the results of the promises were certainly not immediate, in fact, Abraham didn't even live to see them fulfilled. Though it does seem that by Chapter 22 he had this whole trusting thing down. As God instructs him. "Abraham! Take your son, your only son Isaac, the one you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." This refrain is powerful in the text. It doesn't just say, "take your son." It says, "take your son, your only son Isaac, the one you love." And all of our hearts sense the pain of this calling. But the text simply says that he got up and went to do as God instructed.

"In God We Trust." Really? Do we really trust God like Abraham? It seems to me that we have to walk for some time with this kind of God before we truly begin to trust Him. I trust my mom now, more than I did as a child...she has proven to be trustworthy. If we walk with this God over time I bet we will find the same to be true...the more we trust His faithfulness the easier it is to stand against temptation. The longer we walk with Him the more clearly we see that He is faithful. Blessings ~ RLS