Temptation and Opportunity

Temptation and Opportunity

1 Corinthians 10:13 should be a verse that every man, woman and child should learn. I remember learning this verse many years ago as a Junior Sunday School student. It has been invaluable to me throughout my life, as it was hidden in there for future use. My Pastor is a very wise man, and explains it something like this:

Temptation is there, and has been since the day the two trees wereplanted in the Garden of Eden. The first couple did not have a trouble with them until temptation met opportunity. One can do pretty well if there is opportunity, but temptation is not near. One can do pretty well if temptation is near, but there is no opportunity. But woe to us all when they meet, if we do not heed the scriptures and take the door God has provided for us!

Now, most of us adults, when thinking about temptation immediately focus on sexual sins, but temptations are different for everyone.

For your child - yes, I said your child would be tempted. What? You don’t think your child would ever fall into sin through temptation? Another preacher friend of ours says, “Oh happy day in my life when I realized my child was a liar!” That sounds silly, you say. Not at all! It is a wonderful day in your life when you realize that your child is a real human being with real human attributes, and is not the angel you always thought he was!

You still don’t understand. Why, that’s when the Lord can begin working with your child’s heart!

Brother Paul says that he would never have known sin except that the law said not to covet. I am paraphrasing. J Your child will never know sin and never know a transgression of the law until the realization of good and evil dawns upon him/her. It is written in our hearts through our consciences at first, of course.

Here is our job as parents. Do not let that tender heart and conscience be seared by letting temptation and opportunity meet too many times in your child’s life. Be diligent! Be vigilant! The devil, as a roaring lion seeks YOUR child to devour him/her.

Scenario: The Easter holiday just passed, and many of you bought baskets of candy and toys for your children. Or maybe grandparents did that dirty deed for you! How many of you said… “Johnny, Susie, you may have one piece of candy right now, but no more.” ? How many Johnny’s and Susie’s tried to get more than one piece? How many of your children got one piece of candy, but then asked for another ten minutes later when you were on the phone? How many of them went and got another piece and you caught them at it?

Does this sound like a silly example of temptation to you? Well, dear Momma, you are deceived just like Mrs. Eve! For she saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eye and good for food, and she did eat! How many of your children had a situation that maybe went like this - Susie got a piece of candy and gave it to her brother, then told on him. “Mommy! Johnny is eating another piece of candy! Can I have one too? It’s not fair! He got two pieces!”

MY child would never do that. MY children have been trained better! MY children don’t even like candy! J Friend, don’t kid yourself. I see it all the time. I think it even happened at our house once or twice (wink) J . My point is- you have to get to the bottom of it. Do not let it go on and on with this and other situations! Sin doesn’t get smaller, it gets bigger. Heed my warning, even something as ‘cute’ as candy snitching is sin if they have been warned not to do it.

But don’t take my word for it! Learn from the scriptures! The greatest parent, God the Father, did not let Adam and Eve get away with what they had done, but punished them, and provided a covering for their sins.

Here is a novel idea. TELL Johnny and Susie that IF they eat more than one piece of candy, IF they sneak candy later, IF they do not follow the rules, the candy goes away- for good.

Oh, I can’t take away their candy!!! That is mean! That is harsh! That is cruel!

Adam and Eve were sentenced to death.

Adam and Eve lost their fellowship with their God and creator

Adam and Eve cast the whole world into a fallen state

God was not cruel. He was not mean or harsh. He was just.

You don’t think your kids will ever get any more candy? You think they will resent you for taking it? I guarantee you that they will see the error of their ways, and be better boys and girls next time…for there will be a next time! (Halloween is in October! J Just kidding.) Take the scriptures and show them the price for sin, and it will be one of the greatest things you have ever done as a parent, and SHOW them the way to get rid of that guilty feeling.

One temptation YOU have to fight is this - Do not tell them the penalty for sin and then not perform the judgment you said was coming. You will do much more harm than good that way.

Setting up training sessions for temptation and opportunity is a great idea. God does not tempt his children for evil, but he does for good. Example: Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah. Be sure that if you do training sessions you have thought them through. Otherwise, your children may see you as a hypocrite. You have to be consistent.

Or another thing you could do is hide the candy. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about temptation and opportunity meeting your child until he is sixteen or seventeen (and you drop your standards) and let them go out with a pretty young lady in your car.

This entry was posted on April 24, 2010 at 14:23 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.