Just Say No

In a survey by Discipleship Journal back in 1992, readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them:
1. Materialism.
2. Pride.
3. Self-centeredness.
4. Laziness.
5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness.
5. (Tie) Sexual lust.
7. Envy.
8. Gluttony.
9. Lying.
Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 percent) and when they were physically tired (57 percent). Resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer (84 percent), avoiding compromising situations (76 percent), Bible study (66 percent), and being accountable to someone (52 percent).

Everyone knows that temptation is easy to deal with – all you have to do is “just say no”.
• Every knows that if you are a part of a bible study saying no is easy
• Every knows that if you spend countless hours in prayer saying no is easy.
• Everyone knows that if you avoid compromising situations saying no is easy.
• Everyone knows that if you have someone holding you accountable saying no is easy.

But did you also know that Pinocchio is a terrible motivational speaker? Did you also know that Kenny Rogers is terrible at playing poker? Did you also know that auctioneers make a terrible grocery clerk?

We learned last week from the three stories it was tempting for all them just to give up on life. It would have been a lot easier not to have to go through all the pain and suffering. It would have been a lot easier just to give up and not face their difficulties in life. I believe Bible study, prayer, worship, avoiding compromising situations, and having someone holding you accountable are very important in dealing with temptation.

But what do you do during the tough times? When It’s not so easy to “just say no”.  It’s easier to say no when things are going well and life is good. Just like it is easier to love your friends instead of your enemies.  But when the pressure is on and your life is spinning out of control – how easy is it to say no then? When tough times come your way – what are you tempted to do? When life has been unfair – what are you tempted to do? When an injustice happens to you – what are you tempted to do? What are you tempted to do you when you have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

• Some people try to medicate the pain in some way – either with food, prescription pills, TV, alcohol, sports or ______________________.
• Some people ignore the feeling. They tell themselves it doesn’t exist, it isn’t real, or doesn’t matter.
• Some feel all alone, they think everyone else is better off than they. They wallow in self-pity, and remain a victim to avoid life all together and just sleep.
• Some try to stop the sadness by becoming hard, callous, and invulnerable.
• Some take control of everything around them – work, environment, people, even God – to limit their pain.

When things are spinning out of control, or something unfair or unethical happens to you, or you are going through a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad time in your life we have a tendency to forget that God exist. When things aren’t going their way, many people have the tendency to walk away from God rather than towards them. They figure, “what the use? He doesn’t care about me anyway.”

In those times, when you are the weakest, you are tempted to do something that could worsen your circumstances or even destroy you. We are tempted to run away from God rather than run towards Him.

What we go through in life is really meant for someone else. We learned over the last couple of weeks that we are going to go through some tough things in life. Joseph went through some tough stuff. He was almost killed, sold as a slave. His brothers hated him. Joseph came from a messed up family. He had a lot of things working against him.  Joseph could have very easily turned bitter towards God. He could have very easily given up on God. He could have copped the attitude, “what’s the use? He doesn’t care about me anyway!”

Then we come to this story. He had been appointed over all of Pharoah’s household. In other words the most powerful man in Egypt trusted Joseph with everything he owned. Life was looking good.

In Genesis 39:6-10 we read a story about Joseph resisting temptation.
6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7 and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. 8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” 10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.  11 One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12 She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.

This was the start of another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. A day that would cost him a few years in prison. I can just imagine Joseph saying, “Again, are you kidding me?” Joseph even did the right thing. Temptation came to him – he didn’t ask for it. It was thrown in his face.  Potiphar’s wife came at him day after day after day. That is the way temptation works – it comes at you day after day, after day, after day. It is relentless.

Why does God allow us to be tempted?

James 1 tells us, “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. “14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.”

God doesn’t allow us to be tempted. Temptation comes from our own desires. We want to blame it on Satan. I personally think that is a spiritual cop-out. Temptation comes from you. Bad habits come from you. It is not that the temptation is strong. Whatever you are desiring is what makes it strong. Whatever you desiring is what is what entices us and drags us away.