Sticky Sweet

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

GOOEY MELTED MARSHMALLOWS and golden, salty butter fusing together was the best sticky, sweet smell in the world. I was stirring the spoon in my big metal pot until all the marshmallows became one giant, delicious, sugary cream. Then I added the crispy rice cereal to the mixture, and it was pure gratification. The whole house smelled of one of my go-to favorite childhood treats. I couldn’t wait to have a taste. I could have eaten the whole pan.

And I did.

Please tell me I am not alone in having eaten an entire pan of something. Anything. That thing that tasted so good going down and you hoped would fill up all your longings and meet all your emotional needs. Maybe it was brownies. Or a bucket of french fries in your car by yourself. Or a whole bag of Fritos.

The day I ate the entire pan of Rice Krispies treats was a day that temptation knocked on my kitchen door, waltzed in with sweet-talking promises, and took over. And I let it. I didn’t even look for a way out. I had zero self-control. And I felt sick.

I wasn’t just sugar sick either. I was sin sick.

Temptation befalls us all in so many ways, as today’s verse says. But the overwhelming truth is that grace always shows up alongside every temptation. Read the verse again. God is faithful and gracious, and He provides a way out.

That same door that temptation came waltzing through? It can also be our escape route. Literally. I could have just walked out of my house, leaving the temptation to rot and die, rather than my stomach and soul. There is always a way out with our God. We can be the overcomers and conquerors that He calls us to be.

What temptation is knocking at your door? Maybe it’s dressed differently each time, but the content is the same: Food. Control. Alcohol. Consumerism. Perfectionism. Take the time to know your greatest vices that promise life but destroy you instead. Then take time through prayer and His Word to see God’s faithful way out of that temptation or situation. Maybe grace looks like leaving the party, or plating that treat and walking it over to the neighbors as a gift, or turning off your phone. Before you are tempted again, look back at your last temptation and spot the way out that was right there. God is faithful. His grace is always greater than any temptation, and He will help you overcome.

GRACE REFLECTION: Pray with me, “God, thank You for Your amazing grace and relentless faithfulness. Thank You that I will always find a way out when I am tempted and tried. Open my eyes, and show me the pathway out that You have provided. Amen.”