Ill Wind

Blessed is the man who endures temptation   James 1:12

Endures – How do you know that God is working strenuously in your life to bring you into conformity with His Son?  How do you know that God is on your side, actively engaged in molding your character for eternal purposes?  The answer might startle you.  You know God is laboring on your behalf when you are under siege with temptation!

Temptation is God’s vote of confidence that you can handle the circumstances thrown at you by the prince of this world.  Temptation is not the slippery slope of disaster.  It is not the place of remorse and regret.  It is not the avenue to avoid.  Temptation is the crucible of God’s grace – and He has promised that He will not allow us to encounter any temptation that is too much for us to bear victoriously.  Temptation is the place of God’s protective assertion where I am able to put my life in His hands.

The Greek here is important.  It is the word hupomeno.  It means, “to remain under, to endure, to sustain, to bear up, to suffer.”  We all know what this feels like, but what you might not know is that there is another Greek word that provides us with a needed contrast.  The synonym makrothumeo is also about endurance, but endurance that comes about when we are called to patience in the light of the failure and sins of another person.  Hupomeno is about circumstances, not about people.  It is the call to trust in the sovereignty of God regardless of events that befall us.  The principle concern in a temptation of this kind is this:  Can God be trusted now?  When the ill wind blows, are you willing to place your confidence and commitment in the Creator, or will the twists and turns of events choke your faith?  Is God really sovereign, or is it up to you after all?

Job’s story is the classic example of hupomeno.  But Job’s story is our story.  Somewhere along the way, things go wrong.  We are blindsided.  We are toss and turned.  The plans of mice and men often go astray.  It is the way of the  world – a pattern under the influence of the enemy.  The Christian is never called to a life of ease, free from travail.  The Christian is called to a life of redemptive suffering.  Expect it!  The enemy does not roam like a roaring lion for no reason.  As James says, “Don’t be surprised when your world is torn apart.  It is the way of the cross.”

The Christian who seeks a life free of temptation does not understand God’s plan.  You cannot be “blessed” without it.