Facing tests

The final part of "The Lord's Prayer" focused on facing temptations and tests. The prayer concludes with "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Kind of a heavy idea, but the Bible talks about facing tests a number of times, each time reminding us that no matter what we face, we don't face it alone.

One of the verses I always come back to when considering this topic is 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And 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 endure it." As Graham discussed this morning, it's not temptation that's the sin, it's acting on those temptations.

Often, those that stand firm in the face of adversity experience it as a growth opportunity. James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

Sometimes the biggest temptation we face is just standing tall in the face of adversity. When things get tough, it can be easy to lose hope. But it is just those times when we can grow by staying the course.

One of my favorite cinematic examples of that is in the pilot episode of "Friday Night Lights." The team comes into the season expected to compete for a state title behind their highly prized senior quarterback. In the game, the quarterback, Jason Street (Scott Porter), is badly injured. After the game, the team gathers at the hospital, deflated as they see their dreams fading. Their coach, Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), delivers the following voice over: "Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable, and we will all, at some point in our lives... fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts — that what we have is special. That it can be taken from us, and that when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested to our very souls. We will now all be tested. It is these times, it is this pain, that allows us to look inside ourselves.”

When we place our faith in Jesus, it doesn’t mean that magically the rest of our days will be free from suffering and loss. It means in those difficult times, in times where our spirits are broken, we have a Savior to lean on.