Staying Focused in the Midst of Temptation

At the heart of being missional is turning the affections of our cities to Christ and away from idols and other gods. This proves to be a very difficult challenge because as Christians this too is our battle. Our hearts are idol factories naturally prone to desire those things that gratify us, that give us pleasure, and that take up residence at the center of our lives.

If God's plan for redemption uses us as His instruments to turn the affections of our cities toward Him (which it is), then wouldn't it make sense that our affections must be turned toward Christ? That we must walk the walk? God instructs believers to forgo the temptation of worshiping other gods three times in Deuteronomy 13 and the temptation comes from three different directions: prophets, family, and everyday people. It seems that we will be tempted multiple times from multiple levels. The prophet is somewhat of an authority figure, the family member is close to us, and an everyday person can be persuasive. Scripture is telling us that our faith will be tested by those who seem like they know what they are talking about, by those who know and love us, and by those charismatic strangers who can make compelling arguments. Yet, God tells us not to listen to any of them, but to listen to Him only.

Today, let's commit to not getting persuaded by others, no matter their relationship to us, to pursue idols and other gods no matter how good they sound. Rather let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus so that He can use us as His instruments to turn the affections of our cities (if ever so slightly) to Him and away from idols and other gods.