Just because we serve in a Christian environment doesn’t mean we won’t encounter potential for doubts or breaks in integrity. Prepare to face temptation. Even our Lord Jesus was tempted (Matt. 4:1-11).
Types of Temptation in Ministry
We learn of it in the news: Pastors engage in adultery. Youth leaders sexually abuse teenagers. Treasurers or other ministry staff get caught embezzling. Maybe you feel you would never give in to those kinds of sins but given the right circumstances, the temptation may present itself.
Not all temptations have dire consequences so we may not be as prepared to resist things like …
lying to save face.
taking shortcuts to make your life easier.
bragging to make yourself look good.
gossiping to make others look bad.
etc.
What to Remember to Be Prepared When Tempted
We have an enemy, the devil, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). To destroy the work of God, he’ll piggyback on our sin nature, putting temptation in our way. Remember that we don’t have to give in to flesh and the devil. To resist, however, we must stay alert and keep submitting ourselves to the Lord in all situations (1 Pet. 5:8-11). Though temptation is “common to mankind”, we have a faithful God who knows what we can bear and provides a way out (1 Cor. 10:13).
Since we still have that old sin nature, there will unfortunately be times we forget to pull on His strength and provision and give in to temptation. Again, we must remember that we have a faithful and just God. “If we confess our sins,” He “will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). That doesn’t mean we won’t face consequences so the objective should always be to stay alert and keep submitting ourselves to the Lord in all situations, so we don’t yield to temptation.