Not Just Delivered from Temptation, but Not to Even Experience It

We live in such a reactive society that there is the tendency to not take any action until the event or issue has already presented itself. That is what I think about as I read this morning’s passage in Matthew. Yes, the passage, Matthew 6:5-15 is the Lord’s Prayer and how to pray, but in verse 13 I am reminded that I have to work to stay out of temptation and not just be delivered when it is presented. I have to take and act proactively and not just react to that which I need assistance.

“¹³And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.”

— Matthew 6:13 (ESV)

One of the temptations that I know I struggle with is what I am doing when I have nothing to do. In other words, what fills my idle time. It is natural to want to have some down time to rest after a long period of intense work. The challenge is that we tend to dive into the rest and take that time up with something else entirely and it ends up consuming us and we lose sight of what our goal is. It is in these times that I find myself tempted with those things that are of the secular world and not focused on those things that are of God.

I take social media as an example of that which is tempting. I remember my first introduction to to them where I sat on the side of the tub in the bathroom for 1.5 hours, just scrolling. I did not learn anything and lost that time to the screen and frankly, got dumber. Even today, when I have nothing to do, I find myself searching for something on my phone to keep my attention all in the name of resting, when in reality, it is just filled with temptation. The temptation to criticize others, the temptation to look at things I shouldn’t, the temptation to just disappear into the technology world and frankly, struggle to come out having learned anything at all.

I have to continue to pray to the LORD and ask for His guidance and strength to avoid those temptations before I am even sucked into them and need delivering. I have to keep my hands, heart, and mind active and busy doing the work of the LORD so that those things are not even in my mind.

Now, I will admit that there are things in life and in society that are worth noting and learning and those may only come to us when we are idle and resting. In fact, it is when the mind is clear that our mind can reason and deliver those things that may be of great value. The thing is that in those times of resting the mind, it is just that, resting the mind and allowing it to explore those items freely without influence. It is that free resting that is avoiding being tempted as it is resting with intent and there is an actual purpose to it.

I need the help of the LORD in my rest. I need Him to deliver me from the temptations of the world. More importantly, I need Him to lead me in avoiding the temptations that will be presented. I need to lean on the LORD for my actions and deliberateness in all that I do, even in my times of rest.

What are you doing when you are “resting”? Are you truly resting or are you allowing yourself to be sucked into temptation? What if you rested with intent and allowed the LORD to guide you away from temptation and not just deliver you from it once you are sucked in?