Avoiding Pain

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:22

Once there was a man who prayed that God would protect him from evil. His prayer was like the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, except he went further. This man expressed a specific reason for wanting to avoid temptation: “Oh . . . that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” (1 Chronicles 4:10). The man was Jabez, an Old Testament saint who displayed mature wisdom in his prayer.

Whenever we yield to temptation or succumb to evil, we are not the only ones who are hurt. There is usually a friend, a spouse, a child, or some other person who is caused pain by our choice. Even if our decision to sin is purely internal, in the realm of our thoughts, our sinful actions will diminish our future impact on others by the loss of energy and spiritual vitality spent in dealing with our sin. Therefore there are always three reasons not to sin: pain to ourselves, pain to others, and pain to God. No parent likes to witness the failure of his or her children, and God certainly takes no pleasure when we fail.

When you pray, “Lead me not into temptation,” keep Jabez’s insight in mind: that you might not cause pain in anyone’s life.

Each temptation leaves us better or worse; neutrality is impossible.

ERWIN W. LUTZER