Day 62: James 1:13

“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.”



You ever blame someone else for something you did? Me too. In fact, I’m pretty good at it. It’s always someone else’s fault, as far as I’m concerned, right?


It’s very easy to pass the blame to someone else, but a Christian leader never blames other people. They take the blame for whatever they have done. They are personally responsible.


This extends to every facet of their life, including the one James is talking about in today’s passage.


Sometimes, when we are tempted to sin, we are also tempted to look up at the sky, shake our fist, and ask why?


Have you ever found yourself doing this? We get so caught up in the frustration and fight of temptation that we look at God and know it must be His fault. Hold up.


We have to remember what temptation is and where it comes from.


First, temptation happens when we are presented with an opportunity to rebel against God. We consider it because it might be fun, or easier than God’s way, or whatever. This is temptation. God does not provide us with opportunities to rebel against Him. He knows too often we do it, and we certainly don’t need His help screwing up. Blaming God for temptation is passing the buck when it comes to screwing up. It’s all on us.


Second, temptation comes from Satan and demonic forces. When we are saved, our sins are blotted out in God’s eyes. Past, present, and future. Satan just likes to keep us out of fellowship with God and down and out on ourselves so we become useless for the kingdom. Remember that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness it was Satan doing the tempting, not God (God tempting God?!).


When we are tempted, remember, it’s not God, because as James puts it so well, God cannot be tempted, and tempts no one.


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Resist when you want to blame God for temptation. Temptation is Satan’s gig, and you act or don’t act on it accordingly.


Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew 4:1-11


Prayer: Father, help me to see truth. Your word is truth. Help me to see the devil for who he is and what he does. Remind me that blame for screwing up is mine and mine alone, and blame for temptation is from Satan and his minions. Amen.