Reflections

Should Temptation Be Avoided?

Should we take any steps to prepare ourselves to meet temptation, or should we just go into it, head on, trusting God to help us overcome it? Luke 11:4 seems to suggest that we  should ask God to keep us  from all kinds of temptation. Bus is this really what is saying ? Dr. Fosdick, a famous American preacher, said that, out of many thousands of letters he received, he was asked more questions about

this one text than any other portion of the Bible.

We know that God does not tempt, but He can and does lead us to the place of temptation. We know also that temptation can be the means in His hands of refining our souls and  developing our characters. Why then should we ask not to be led into it?

The real answer, I believe, lies in the fact that, when Jesus framed this prayer for His Disciples, He took into account that there would be times (as He experienced it in the Garden of Gethsemane) when the human heart would seek to draw back from the time of test. At such times, we can either pretend, and put on a mask, or say,'If it is possible let this cup pass from me'. This need for self- honesty is so important that Jesus built it into this classic prayer so that, when we pray it, are we really saying, 'Lord take into account my human weakness, my frailty, and my fears of being tested, and if it is possible let it pass from me'. Courage does not mean that we can never be afraid. It means doing what

 we are supposed to do in spite of it.