Run Away! Run Away!

• Try to remember who you were a year ago. How have you matured in your faith?

• How does God want you to deal with temptation?

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:22

God doesn’t tell us to casually avoid temptation, as if it were slightly dangerous. The most dangerous thing that we can do is to take temptation lightly. We are not to play around with it. God tells us to run away from temptation, to “flee the evil desires of youth.”

This does not mean that the things we desire when we are young are evil things. However, young adults do often go through selfish and argumentative phases. These can be a normal part of growing up. Paul is telling us here that we must move past these phases. We must choose to seek God instead of ourselves and to pursue righteousness. We must work to mature in our faith.

And the best way to do this is alongside other believers. There is strength in fellowship. There is strength in numbers. Being in the company of other strong Christians can help us to flee from temptation.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you that we are maturing in our faith. Please help us to flee from temptation, and please send us other strong Christians to help us. Amen.