Watching Our Ways

( 4/2/23 )

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!"

1 Corinthians 10:12

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I remember hearing a story of a man in high school who really loved God. I was even told that, at one point, he ate a worm as a part of a dare in order to earn a couple of cents towards going to a Christian college. However, I then heard that the same man, when he grew older, was discovered to have sexually assaulted some children. How could someone who seemed to love God as he did grow up to do something as bad as that? I can't personally answer that question, but this story can serve as a warning for believers today to watch the ways in which we walk.

In 1 Corinthians 10:12, the Apostle Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about sin and temptation in regard to the Israelites who fell in the wilderness. In warning the Corinthians to not fall into sin, Paul states, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!". This was a reminder for the Corinthians to remember their vulnerability. Paul wanted the Corinthians to always be on guard against temptation- even when they thought they were standing firm in the faith. In the same way, we must also always be on our guard against temptation and falling into sin.

When temptation comes, we need to be mindful of our imperfect state and depend on God for help in resisting it. Living to please God must be at the forefront of our minds. In order to do this, we must cherish and meditate on the Word of God daily ( Psalms 1:1-2; 119:11 ). As we become more familiar with what Scripture says about how we are to live, it will be easier to determine what things in our lives we need to do away with in order to better please God. Another way is to depend on God in prayer. When we pray for help in resisting temptation, we can trust that God will help us by giving us the strength to endure it ( I Cor. 10:13 ).

Despite these precautionary measures, we will still have times when we sin due to our imperfect nature. When we fail, we can trust that God will forgive us if we confess our sins to Him and repent ( 1 John 1:9 ).

Q: What are some measures you can take in order to better resist falling into temptation?

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God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, please help me to examine my ways and watch my steps to ensure that I'm doing what is pleasing to You every day. Help me in storing Your Word in my heart so that I don't sin against You. And, please help me to rely on You for help in resisting temptation now and in the future.

In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen.