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1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 CSB

WHAT DOES IT SAY?
O Temptation is a regular and expected part of life
O The struggles that we go through are not unique to us. They also happen and have happened to others.
O God does not leave us alone or without help
O God supplies us with all we need to endure and overcome temptation.

WHAT QUESTIONS DO I HAVE ABOUT THE TEXT?
O What is temptation?
The word used for temptation can also be translated as testing or trial. The assumption when faced with hardship and difficulty is that God is wrong to allow suffering, temptation, and hardship to occur in my life. Also that the suffering/difficulty we face is pointless.

O Does this mean God won't allow hardship in our life we aren't capable of dealing with on our own?
Jesus tells his followers to anticipate suffering. So Christians should expect to face times where we will feel overwhelmed, persecuted, and afflicted.

O What is meant by "provide the way out? "
The fallacy of humanity is to elevate ourselves to the level of God thinking that we are sufficient to overcome the testing of life. However, we fail to recognize that God desires us to trust Him relying on Him in every situation and decision. We find our way out of testing not through avoidance or escape but by surrendering to the Lord and accepting the sufficiency of His grace to help us persevere through testing.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Suffering, Hardship, Trials are a normal and to be expected part of life. Often when we are under pressure and feel overwhelmed we fall into the trap of isolation. We think no one can understand how we feel and that the circumstances we are in are unique. However, there is nothing new under the Sun and while the details of our experience may be peculiar to us others have experienced similar situations. We should take comfort in this knowing that other people have endured what I have endured and survived, in some cases even thrived through adversity. The Christ follower should also take comfort in knowing that God is always present and always comes through because He is faithful. We need to trust in God's love for us which He demonstrated on the cross when He died in our place. We also should find strength in knowing that every testing we face is aimed at growing our faith in God. He is with us every step of the way and through the trials of life proofs and refines our faith so we can be confident in His love. Also to know that as we grow in faith that God prepares us to handle more responsibility as we increase in our reliance on Him.

HOW DOES IT APPLY TO ME?
I am comforted to know that through the trials of life that I am not alone in my suffering.  I am encouraged to know that both Christ Himself and his followers have faced trials and come out victorious because of God's faithfulness. It gives me confidence and peace in the midst of the overwhelming that no matter how bleak my situation that God's grace was and is sufficient in all things. When faced with seemingly hopeless situations rather than trying to show a brave face or trudging through hoping my own strength will be sufficient I can surrender my burdens to God and know that He always comes through and will supply me with all I need.

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