Never confuse a trial with a temptation.

There’s a difference between trials and temptations. A trial is something that happens to us through outer circumstances or our own actions. God allows trials in our lives because they have the potential to make us “partners with Christ in his suffering” (1 Peter 4:13). On the other hand, a temptation can entice us to do the wrong thing.

God is never tempted to do wrong. Even when Satan tempted Jesus, there was never a possibility that Jesus would make a mistake. He stood on the Word of God and kept Satan and his test at bay.

God doesn’t tempt us to do wrong, either. More than likely, our temptations come from “the lure of our own evil desires” (James 1:14). God wants us to endure our temptations through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He will bless us for it (James 1:12).

God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.

James 1:13

Lies are like potato chips: It’s difficult to stop with just one.

The cable networks are filled with infomercials that promote healthy living with diet programs, exercise equipment, or greaseless cookware. But all that paraphernalia won’t help you much if you are living a deceitful life.

Dishonesty is very detrimental to your health. When you live a long time with deceit, it begins to take its toll on your body and your mind. You become frantic and depressed as you must constantly create more lies in order to cover what you have already said and done. Guilt begins to eat away at you. It’s a tough way to live.

One the other hand, when you confess the lies and begin to live in truth–when honesty becomes your policy–you will experience a joy and a level of freedom you never though possible. The world asks you to lie and suffer the detrimental effects. God asks you to live honestly and enjoy the benefits.

The Lord hates those who don’t keep their word, but he delights in those who do.

Proverbs 12:22

The only reason God hates divorce is because of what it does to us.

For many people, divorce has occurred in their lives. Are they doomed to experience less than a good life because of their failed marriage? Are they stuck with living in an inferior “Plan B” world because God doesn’t like what they have done?

God does not reserve his love only for those who follow His intended “Plan A” (and aren’t we glad of that, because every one of us has stepped outside of God’s “Plan A” for our lives in different areas). We have a God who is in the business of restoring relationships. God may hate divorce because of how it tears apart what He has put together (Malachi 2:16), but He is always ready to forgive and receive us back into fellowship with Him. He never abandons us. He never quits on us. He never gives up on us.

“Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.”

Matthew 19:6

You can’t get holy in a hurry.

Actually, you can get holy in a hurry. It happens immediately when you turn your life over to God. At that moment, because Christ paid the penalty for your sins, God sees you as righteous. Your sins (past and future) are gone. This is positional holiness–how God sees you.

But when we say, “You can’t get holy in a hurry,” we’re talking about practical holiness–the actions and attitudes in your life. Even when you allow God to direct your life, you will still be tempted to act according to your old nature. All of your old undesirable habits and thoughts won’t immediately vanish.

While positional holiness happens immediately, practical holiness happens gradually as you align your thinking with God’s precepts. As your thoughts change, your conduct will change. You will find increasing evidence of holiness in your life as you remain diligent in your devotion to God.

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God–who chose you to be his children–is holy.

1 Peter 1:15

God wants us to be less like us and more like Him.

“Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” Have you ever prayed that prayer? Of course you have, hundreds of time, because it’s from The Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:12). But have you thought about what it means? Does God really forgive us in the same way we forgive others?

God has forgiven us, and He continues to forgive us. He doesn’t “constantly accuse us” and “has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:9,12). He doesn’t keep any records. How unlike us! Yet that’s what God wants us to be–unlike ourselves and more like Him. As we forgive others, we don’t necessarily trigger God’s forgiveness for us, but we show Him that His forgiveness is real in our lives. Whenever we ask God to forgive us, we should make sure we have forgiven the people who have offended us.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.”

Matthew 6:14

God doesn’t ask us to do something He hasn’t already done for us.

Why do we find it so hard to forgive others? Why do we hold grudges and refuse others the privilege and honor of our forgiveness? We can think of at least one big reason: They have hurt us and consequently we don’t think they deserve our forgiveness (at least not for a while). Besides, they haven’t asked for our forgiveness. Why should we forgive someone who doesn’t want to be forgiven?

Whenever we get stingy with our forgiveness, we need to remember that in our relationship with God, we are the offenders and God is the offended. We have hurt God and don’t deserve His forgiveness, yet He didn’t wait until we asked Him to forgive us. Out of His deep love for us, He forgave us while we were still in rebellion to Him.

When we are reluctant to forgive others, we must remember that God wants us to.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Colossians 3:13

Forgiveness opens the door to our relationship with God.

Forgiveness is big in God’s eyes. Very big. Without His forgiveness of our sins, we couldn’t get near God because He wouldn’t get near us. We should thank God every day for His forgiveness, which opens the door to our relationship with Him.

A lot of us think forgiveness is a one-way street. We become aware of God’s forgiveness, accept God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and then go about our lives. But God asks more of us. He wants us to forgive others, especially those who have hurt us deeply.

Let’s be honest. That’s a very tough assignment. We find it very difficult to forgive those who have hurt or offended us. And yet that’s exactly why God asks us to do it. Forgiveness is very big in God’s eyes, and it needs to be very big in our eyes as well.

You must make allowance for each others’ faults and forgive the person who offends you.

Colossians 3:13