No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV),
In a society where people are propelled onward by the concept of more, more and still more, excess rules. The temptation to eat one more cookie, buy one more CD; watch one more movie is strong. The temptation to flirt anonymously over the Internet, to take an extra half-hour for lunch, to sleep in when you promised to help your neighbor or co-worker set up for a big event. Giving in to temptation often wins out over more prudent choices.
Temptations are all around you. Sometimes they're easy to ignore, but usually they attract like magnets. Paul made a bold statement, quoted above, about temptation in his first letter to the Corinthian church. He said that God always gives a way out of temptations. Notice that he didn't say God would erase temptation from your life. Sometimes you will experience it at the buffet line and other times you will meet it in the particular striking profile of a friendly coworker.
The first step to overcoming temptation is to recognize it. Do you feel compelled to do something you are not sure is a good idea? That is the tug of temptation. Temptation often comes disguised as a shortcut. It promises an easier path to a desired result, but conveniently forgets to mention that the path is figuratively littered with broken glass, potholes, and land mines.
The second step is to listen to your conscience. When you feel that you are being tempted, the hesitation you sense is a warning. It's an opportunity to uncover the lie that informs temptation. It's an opportunity to evade being taken in.
Whenever you feel temptation's tug, pray. Ask God for wisdom. Ask God for strength to face the temptation. God promised not to set any temptation before you that you can't handle. God will give you the strength you need to handle temptation.
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