I’m Right, Not You
There is such a strong pull to temptation in our lives. We are all tempted in different areas just as a fisherman uses different bait for different fish. Solomon warns us in Proverbs 7 of the sexual temptation with someone who is not your spouse. Sometimes the temptation comes from within and sometimes from without. Solomon reminds us that we need to have a strong moral foundation that does not move if we are going to stand firm against the temptations seeking to destroy our lives. Who gets to determine morality? Hollywood, the media, Hitler, Pelosi, Trump, or the church (and if so, which church)? True morality must come from God, and God gave us His standards for morality in the Bible. We all think that our standards for living are the correct ones; otherwise, we wouldn’t live that way, make those decisions, or take those stands. But if there is not one moral standard for right and wrong, then it is anyone’s guess, and no one should ever judge anyone else for anything. We should unlock the prison doors, get rid of police, judges, Congress, and every other arbitrary means of controlling us. Do you see how ludicrous this becomes? We need standards! We need morality! We need something consistent, accurate, and eternal. If the standard keeps changing we have a problem. God promised us that His Word is eternal.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.” — Isaiah 40:8
We all want to do right, and yet we are all tempted to go astray from God’s standard and to do our own thing. As I stated earlier, some temptations come from without and some come from within. Ultimately I will not fall prey to a temptation unless it arouses within me a desire that is already present within. I will face the temptation to overeat at a seafood buffet because seafood disgusts me. However, we all face temptations that will lead us astray from what is morally right according to God’s standard.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” — James 1:14
Many of the decisions we make each day are not moral decisions. Does it matter if I paint my kitchen blue or grey? Of course not, but as we make decisions that do have a right or a wrong attached to them, may we all take some time to pause and ask what God thinks about this decision. Look into the Scriptures and see what He has to say about it. If everyone did this, the world would be a much better place.
