Anyone who’s ever read any of my work or heard me speak knows that perseverance is one of my favorite subjects. In today’s “get it done yesterday� corporate world, this characteristic is often the one thing that separates the winners from the losers.

Thankfully for Christians, God has a training ground for us in this area: it’s called temptation. James 1:2-4 says, “consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so you may be mature and complete.� The Greek word for trial in this verse is interchangeable with temptation. It actually means a testing of man’s fidelity, virtue, integrity, and constancy; an enticement to sin, whether arising from desire or outward circumstances.

Just what you wanted to hear, right?! Well, the good news is that “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Cor. 10:13).� The phrase, stand up under it, means to endure or persevere.

So, even though we know we must face temptation, we can also be assured that God will:

A) Not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear
B) Provide an escape route for us
The key is to remember that both of these work in conjunction with each other. Within our own power, we cannot resist much pressure, so we must learn to rely on God’s strength and power and seek the escape route He provides for us.

With that in mind, here are four ways to improve your ability to resist temptation and increase your chances of finding the escape route.
1. Prayer: An effective prayer life will keep you from many dangers. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus told His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.� It’s imperative that you remain steadfast in prayer, maintaining that intimate connection with God, because prayer has a power that cannot be described or understood. It just works!
2. Know the Word: David said, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:11).â€? The word, hidden, in this verse means to store up, to treasure, and to protect. It implies more than just reading or memorizingâ€"the Word of God must become the foundation of all that you believe and the rudder for your thoughts, words, and actions.
3. Community & Accountability: Surrounding yourself with other Christians who genuinely care about your walk is imperative to growing in Christ. This is established early in Genesis when God says, “it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18).â€? In Hebrews 10:24-25, Paul adds to this by exhorting his brothers to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds,â€? and to continue meeting together and encouraging each other. Find someone who you can honestly share your struggles and weaknesses with (Gal. 6:1-2)â€"someone who will pray with you, hold you accountable, and love you unconditionally.
4. Avoid Compromising Situations: It is important to understand what battles you are not strong enough to win. Proverbs 22:3 reads, “a prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.� This verse is repeated verbatim in Proverbs 27:12, so it is obviously something God wants us to take very seriously! For example, when Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to go to bed with her, he refused. But he also avoided being with her at all, and when she cornered him, he ran (Gen. 39:7-12).

Unfortunately, temptations, trials, and storms will come upon you. It is a sad fact of the fallen world we live in. I pray that the above suggestions will take root in your life and help you weather these storms victoriously. Through your perseverance, you will grow in your career, and most importantly, you will be a testimony to others.

Saemus Sutton is the author of Leaders Make Leaders, featuring the Wash, Rinse, Repeat mentoring model. You can view the model and download the book FREE at leadersmakeleaders.com

Send This To A Friend