Are you willing?

1 Corinthians 10:13 says:
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

I remember being a new believer 12 years ago watching all the Christians in the church and thinking to myself can I last? Will I make it? I don’t know if I can do this thing. This is hard.
I don’t know if I can stop doing what I’ve been doing…

Have you ever asked yourself those kind of questions? Deep inside you want to live for God, you want to stop living the way you have been living. Yet the journey ahead of you seems far too difficult and seemingly impossible. You don’t really believe you are going to stick this thing out.
Can I encourage you today? YOU CAN DO IT! By the power of the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you! YOU CAN DO IT!

But you will not make it to your moment of victory without first making it through the moments of temptation. We ALL face temptation. Whether it be a sexual temptation, or a temptation to lie, or to cheat or even to eat more than we ought to. There are all types of temptations…

But God in all his love and wisdom is faithful! Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 again and again… You are not alone! You’re not the only one who struggles. And He won’t let you face it without providing a way out! Question is do you WANT to the way out? Are you looking for the way out?

I have heard people say about their habitual sin (and I have said it also)… Whether it had to with a relationship they need to let go of or an addiction to alcohol or cigarettes or even the club life. “I asked God to take it away from me”.  Really? But you are still holding to it. You haven’t really given it to Him. As long as you still have sympathy for whatever it is… you will continue to go back to it! We have to get to a point where we HATE the very thing that is destroying our lives and keeping us from experiencing true freedom in Christ. We have to say “Lord here it is I don’t want this! I give it to you!”

The bible says you will know the truth and the truth will set you free! Jesus said I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE. Jesus wants to set you free!

Prayer is vital to the process of Freedom. As you pray and as you read the word of God, your desires will begin to change. You will begin to desire what God desires and hate what the Lord hates. You will become equipped with the tools needed to fight the battle.

Does this mean that you will never make mistakes? Of course not! The Lord isn’t looking for someone perfect He is looking for someone willing. Are you willing today? Trust me it is so worth it!

I pray that today as you continue on this journey, you will experience victory. That when you are tempted  you will look to see that there is a way of escape and His name is Jesus. He doesn’t leave you to face it on your own. The Holy Spirit will teach you and show you the way. Trust the Lord, stand strong, don’t give up! And if you fail today let it serve as fuel and stir inside of you more desire to conquer and to get back up and keep going!

Read Romans 8 today. You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you!