Leading in Temptation and Not Tempting My Family

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it".

1 Corinthians 10:13

Do you ask yourself, 'what's the good of temptation'?

Oswald Chambers explains that the word 'temptation' has come down in the world; we are apt to use it wrongly. He says, "temptation is not sin, it is the thing we are bound to meet if we are men".

So many times as a husband, father, brother, son, son-in-law etc... I am tempted. I am tempted to be self absorbed. I am tempted to put my needs before others. I am tempted to want my way and not consider how my choice will effect others. It is a real battle. God's Word is such an encouragement to me knowing He will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can bear. What a wonderful truth to live out, not just mention!

Let me share with you another area that I have recently been considering. It's not only how I am being tempted, but how I can tempt others to sin.

Have you ever considered how you are able to tempt others to sin?

Here are some ways I have discovered that I can tempt my family to sin. I can tempt my family to sin by my actions or lack of actions. I can do this by my tone of voice. Am I yelling, being harsh, patronizing in the way I speak to them or question them? If I am, I need to change this behaviour. It is not serving

In my role, I am tempted in many ways. However God has entrusted me to lead my family. I must consider how I am tempting my family.

I am so grateful that during these times I can run to the Gospel and remind myself of His great saving power! It is in these times I am provided with an opportunity to rehearse the Gospel. For it is the power of salvation to all who believe.

I trust you will consider how you are serving your family when you are being tempted. Are you being tempted to sin? Are you tempting others to sin? Remind yourself of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

Leading in Sickness

Is God still good in sickness? Is God still good in poverty? Is God still good in famine & war? Is God only good when we prosper or when we are well fed? When we have the nice house, nice car, nice clothes and right friends? Is God only good when we are healthy?

This past week my wife and children have been quite sick. However in it, there has still been much praise and thanksgiving to God. I am not saying that to boast, but I am sharing that to encourage you fathers. Encourage you, that this comes when Dad leads the family in making observations about the truth of the test we have been entrusted with.

Several times through the night, our daughters are waking us up. Our sons are up and down as well. We have been getting only few hours of sleep and yet, the temptation is not to spend time reading God's Word. Why? Because we get irritated or frustrated that these kids are waking us up in the night. How are we suppose to function, we mumble to ourselves or to our spouse in anger. But is that the truth? Is God not providing us with an opportunity to depend on Him? Do we see these times as a means of grace, from God, to grow in godliness?

My heart is warmed when I descend the stairs to see my wife look up from her Bible, with a physically worn out body, but eyes that show that her soul has been filled and refueled enough to carry out the tasks of caring for the children we have been entrusted with.

Admittedly we are growing in this. This is not the way it has always been. However after experiencing God's grace, when making the choice to spend time alone with God and His Word, how can we not take time to spend with Him, in order to serve each other and our children?

Dad's lead well. Encourage, create time and space for such appointments with the Lord. Even if you don't have children, and are just newly married. Remind your wife of the opportunities to grow in godliness.

ONLY, because of the cross...