Mazes never fail to amuse most children. Whether it be printed ones they have to solve, or a play place that they have to go through. The goal of finding the way out of the intricate web, will always challenge young minds into trying possibilities after possibilities to solve the puzzle at hand.
As followers of Jesus we are given a maze to solve each day. A maze of temptations to sin, whatever that may represent for us. For us moms it could be the temptation to yell at our children when they are being too naughty. It could be saying the truth in anger to our teenager who kept on insisting on her way. Or the temptation to not submit to our spouse whenever we think we know better.
Whatever the case may be, the Bible tells us that our Lord and Savior will not allow us to be tempted beyond our capacities. That like being in a giant maze, He made provisions for an exit door that will allow us to not give in to the temptation to sin.
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
So what are the other sins that could tempt mothers like us today, and how do we find a way out? Well, the most common is to lose our temper. Different personalities have different ways of dealing with this issue, but training ourselves to be quick to listen and slow to anger could be a viable solution. It will never be easy, but we can always look up to the Lord, and meditate on His words for inspiration. We can also take ourselves to a “mom time out” by going to another room before our tempers flare, or if not possible, we can take deep breaths, or turn to a scripture we can draw strength from.
“Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes.” Proverbs 14:29
Another common temptation we may face as moms is to refuse to submit to our spouse, whenever we think we are right. When such happens, we should always remind ourselves that the Lord has put our husbands as heads of the household, and we must treat them that way. Again, when we are familiar with God’s words, we can take it to heart, and use it as a source of our strength to give way and submit to our spouse.
“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct” 1 Peter 3:1-2
As moms, we also face the temptation to gossip. Be it in the workplace, the church, friend groups, or even in extended family get-togethers, the temptation to talk about others and their personal lives can be very strong. The key to avoiding this is to be upfront with the enabler, or the person who starts the rumor mongering session. We can gently tell them that it is unkind to talk about someone who cannot defend herself. If that will not work then we remove ourselves from the situation. We will not lose anything when we turn our backs on people who spread strife, lies, and rejoice in other people’s misfortunes.
“A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” Proverbs 20:19
Another daily temptation we can face as mothers is overindulgence. We may over indulge in social media scrolling, we can also over indulge in food that can be bad for our health. Some are addicted to online shopping, or coveting the things of this world. Some preoccupy themselves with improvement of their outward appearance that they neglect their inner peace and the souls of those God entrusted to them. We shun productivity in the name of TV series marathons, and we forgo quiet time to watch videos upon videos that promote content that are opposed to biblical values.
When such a temptation seems to overtake us, we better change gears, and remind ourselves of who we are and what we should be doing. We remind ourselves that while we need rest and recreation, we should not be squandering our precious time going after worldly things. That we are setting a bad example to our children when we cannot discipline ourselves in our pursuit of possessions, pleasure, power, poise, and prestige.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
At the end of the day, the compass that will guide us out of the maze of temptations is God’s word. We should protect and prioritise our daily prayer time and bible reading so that we can be protected from evil and be guided and transformed by God’s teachings. We should live our faith, center our lives on Jesus, and focus on what is eternal. We must also not hesitate to claim the Lord’s promise to strengthen us in our time of weakness.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 1 John 2:1-2 and Matthew 6:13 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: What is the temptation that you face everyday and how do you try to avoid it?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for understanding my frailty. Thank you as well that I could come to you for help whenever I am faced with the temptation to sin. May you grant me the grace to live a life that is fully pleasing to you. Amen.
