How many times were you tempted to do wrong yesterday? In a recent survey of Christ-followers, 80% said they were tempted between one and ten times a day. Leadership is often about choosing the correct path to take, leading others down a path, or walking a path together. In the many choices we make each day, temptation to move away from God and embrace another path is constant. Doing something God tells us not to do, or that will displease God, has a name: sin. A recent news article listed the most common temptations, including:
Eating too much
Spending too much
Laziness
Venting on social media
Gossiping
Feeling jealous
Viewing pornography
Lying
Cheating
Abusing alcohol or drugs
The opposite of temptation is not necessarily to act with virtue. That is, to avoid temptation sometimes is simply to say, “no” and do nothing more. A second option is to act instead with good intent: Eat moderately and exercise, be frugal, be diligent and industrious, keep confidences, be truthful, protect your thoughts, live humbly. You might picture life as a serious of choices—an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each whispering in your ear the direction to go. This comes from a second-century text called The Shepherd of Hermas, a moral tale that in reality isn’t biblical at all.[1] Temptation is not sin—even Jesus was tempted, but He did not sin (Hebrews 4:14-16). And not all sin is the result of temptation. What should a leader believe and live out with respect to temptation?
When we pray. As Jesus teaches how to talk to God, He gives an interesting statement in His model prayer: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:33). You’ve probably prayed the Lord’s Prayer before, but have you thought about this particular phrase. It seems to suggest that we should ask God not to bring temptation upon us. Does God indeed tempt us toward evil? Are the temptations we face daily to do wrong prepared and delivered to us by God?[2] We tend to think of temptation as an outside force—the devil, for instance—enticing us to do wrong. But we can do evil of our own accord. James 1:14 teaches, “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”[3]
God doesn’t lead us toward sin. James 1:13 teaches, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.” We can’t blame God for the evils that exist in the world. This is the result of Adam’s original sin and continues to this day through our own sin. The language of Matthew 6:33 is a little odd. The accurate translation from the original Greek word eisenenkēs used here is more along the lines of “protect us from temptation” or “carry us away from temptation”. Jesus is saying we should ask God to help us avoid temptation.
God’s promise related to temptation. Paul speaks about God’s provision for temptation in 1 Corinthians 10:13. He writes, “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.” God doesn’t promise we won’t be tempted, or even that He will remove every temptation. Paul states that we will indeed go through temptation. But God promises that, as Christians, it will never be more than we can handle, and that He will always provide a way to endure it.
Have you ever been tempted to buy something you couldn’t afford? Or maybe do something that you know will be bad for you? Perhaps you’re in your car on the way to buy that thing, or do that thing. Then you think better of it, and take a different route home—a path that avoids passing that store, or that person, or that temptation entirely. The idea of taking a different path is a picture of how God leads us.
Where God leads. The idea that God leads His people is a central theme of the Bible. Psalm 5:8 asks God, “Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” Psalm 27:11 says, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.” The Bible is filled with instances of people asking God to lead them, and of God leading His people along a specific path. Remember how He led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, guiding them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When it comes to God leading us, He will always lead us toward our good and His glory. Remember Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Leading others. Christ-centered leaders have a responsibility to influence those around them toward Jesus. Because leadership is essentially influence, we should realize that we can tempt others to do wrong or choose the wrong path. In our present culture many in positions of influence authority do this. Instead of leaders, they are tempters. 2 Timothy 3:2-4 describes them: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” The passage concludes with an instruction: “Turn away from such as these!”
Instead of tempting others, we should follow the wisdom of God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 tells us, “But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.” It is in knowing the Word of God and following after the things of God that we avoid temptation ourselves, and avoid leading others into temptation as well.
When we celebrate on July 4 now, 245 years and as many political reinterpretations later, it begs the question, “What freedom are we celebrating?” Christ brings us a clear and meaningful definition of freedom that transcends our July 4 celebration.