18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Humans are selfish beings. We often think only of ourselves. We also think that we are the only ones to have ever experienced something. This is especially true when bad things happen. “No one knows how I feel.” “No one knows what I’m going through.” “Why is this happening to me?” “No one else has ever felt this way.” “No one can understand . . . me.”
Becoming a Christian brings us into the reality that we are not alone. We are not the only ones who experience things. We are not the only one. First, and foremost, God knows us. How can the Creator not know us? We are His creation. God knows.
Second, Jesus was tempted in each and every way that we are tempted. No, Jesus was not tempted to play just one more game of Candy Crush instead of spending time in prayer, talking with His friends, or going to sleep. But that does not mean that Jesus did not have the temptation to do something pleasing that would have kept him from praying, talking with His friends, or going to sleep.
Temptations are not specific things, but are the ideals: self-satisfaction, power, control. These ideals take many and varied forms in our lives, but the core remains the same as it has always been. It focuses on the “me” not the “we.”
We are only given glimpses of the temptations that Jesus had -- the most famous one was the devil tempting Him during Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness after His baptism. Jesus was fully human. As such, Jesus had all the same temptations that we have.
We are not alone. Our temptations are not unique to only us. We overcome our temptations through reading and studying the Bible, prayer, praising God, and having fellowship with other believers. Isolation only heightens our awareness of temptation. Yes, there are times when we need to be alone. But when we know that we are being tested we need to reach out and go out, not fold in on ourselves.
We have a savior who knows all that we are going through. We have Christian brothers and sisters who we can turn to for prayer and fellowship. We need to think more in terms of how can we - my Christian brothers and sisters and me - overcome temptation.
Prayer
Loving Father, thank You that You know us intimately. That You know our thoughts and our hearts. Thank You that Jesus knows exactly what we are going through. Thank You that we can call on Your Name. Thank You that we can go to our Christian brothers and sisters in love, comfort, and confidence. Help us to feel and know that we are never alone.
Amen
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