Life is full of sticky situations. Peer pressure, influence, decision-making and so on.
When we are met with challenges, we should consider – is this a temptation or a test?
A temptation is to get you to fail. A test is to get you to pass. A test is to prove your faithfulness.
Teachers give tests in school so students can prove that they know the material. Bad influences tempt us so that we will also do bad things.
Satan tempts. (Matthew 4:1-2) God tests. (James 1:12)
Satan does not test. God does not tempt. (James 1:13)
If we think about life this way, we can recall past moments in life when have given into temptation and failed. And we can also recall moments when we have passed the test.
So, we should desire to not fail, and we should desire to pass the test. And yet, we should acknowledge when we have failed. In our failings, we should turn to the Lord (not away from the Lord) and ask Him for forgiveness. Through Jesus, God forgives.
One last thought – when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, on the second temptation (Matthew 4:5-7), while resisting the devil’s temptation Jesus said this “Again it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
The Bible teaches that life is full of tests and that God tests us. But we are never to test God. Why? Because again a test is to prove your faithfulness. God’s faithfulness is not in question. Never has been. Never will be. He is always faithful and true. By faith, may we live faithful to Him. By faith, may we never question or test His faithfulness.