It may surprise you to know that some people are not tempted by the things you are. It may surprise you to know that some people are tempted by things that you are not. Things that trip you up may have no bearing on someone else. Things that trip someone else up may have no bearing on you. Things that you may be weak against, another is strong against. Things you may be strong against, another is weak against.
Each human is different, and while we all have temptations and many of them in common, we all have some specific ones that may not affect others so much. Some people are tempted by feelings they shouldn’t have. Some people are tempted by substances. Some people are tempted by attention from others. Some people are tempted by thoughts they shouldn’t have. Some people are tempted by pride. Some people are tempted by a need in their life at the moment. Some people are tempted by the sins of others. The list goes on. But just because someone has a different temptation than you doesn’t mean that one of you is better at resisting the temptation, it just means you’re built differently from each other with different strengths and weaknesses. And just because you have a different temptation doesn’t mean God can’t help you with it.
God is in the business of conquering sin and temptation. Sometimes it’s easy to let the temptation go, other times it’s hard and takes a process over time, but God is still there to work with you. It’ll require effort from you because you still have a choice about it and God won’t force anything on or off you, but it will be more than worth it!
The next time you are tempted to look down on someone because their temptation struggle is different from yours, remember that you’re both susceptible to temptation, regardless of the type. The next time you are tempted to give in to your specific temptation, look to God the conqueror of it for help (Psalm 119:9-11; Matthew 6:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 5:16; James 4:7-8; 1 John 1:9).
A few related posts:
Tailor Made: Temptation and Grace
Different Needs and Boundaries
Remember When You Were There
Crippled and Straight