View Site Map

“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.” 1 Corinthians 10: 13

      There have been many times in my life I have been tempted in a variety of ways. Some I will admit I resisted and others I regrettably failed. It was during the times after failing the tests, I suffered greatly by beating myself up over it. I once thought I was this perfect individual that could never make a mistake. I was very much a perfectionist and expected so much out of myself as well as others, but I learned some really hard lessons that no one is perfect; especially me. It was and still remains we are human and it is our nature to make mistakes. We just need to learn from them and move forward with renewed knowledge.

      Being a perfectionist can be harmful to ourselves and our loved ones around us. I consider myself a recovering perfectionist; God humbled me greatly when I took the responsibility of my own actions. It also seemed I was the one always being hurt and things were never my fault; I never even considered the other’s side of the story because it was always ‘all about me’. As I was feeling sorry for myself in a particular dilemma sometime ago, God placed someone in my life that stated the harsh truth to me or let’s say a matter of fact!

      Mary was her name and she was in her late 70’s. She was the kindest of ladies that I had confided in often. She sat very silent and content to my talking of the hurt I felt and all the justifying everything I had done because of someone did this or did that. She asked me some very profound questions that made me realize I needed to look at myself in the mirror and accept the fact I allowed the temptation to break me, her questions were “what makes you think you are so special to cause you to think you had nothing to do with this situation you are in?” and “Did someone hold a gun to you to make the decision that you’re in now?”.

      In all honesty, I was no one special and there was no one that put me in the situation I was in except for me. I realized at that moment, her brute honesty made me realize I needed to accept responsibility of my own actions. The best advice she gave me was to ‘never go into a room of temptation without knowing where the exit door is or be willing to use it’. Immediately, I began to cry as I realized she was right in every aspect and I knew God was using her to help me see the situation as it was. In her gentle spirit, Mary very quietly closed the office door and came over to ask if she could pray with me. In that moment of prayer, I realized God did allow the temptation in my life and as the scripture reads I could have resisted but I chose not to. He did provide a way out but I chose not to go to the exit door. God was my strength but I chose myself and sometimes God will place people in our lives to see the error of our ways but the best thing is that he will be at the door waiting to lead us by the hand out of temptation. Trust in him in every situation you think you are unable to get out of, there is always an exit and God holds the key. You just have to ask him to open it for you.