Common

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1Cor. 10:13

The answer that God gives us in this verse is the completion of so many things. First of all, the trouble we go through is COMMON! We aren't the only one on earth that has unusual problems. No matter what it is, every temptation remains, COMMON.

All the disciples were in the boat when a great storm came. That story is the metaphor for 1Cor. 10:13. So, we can stop saying things like "...but you don't understand." Or, "you've never been through what I go through." Then there's this one, "Why is God doing this to me?" These are arrogant statements said when we think we are different than everyone else when it comes to trials and temptations. This attitude opens the "it's ok" door to self-pity.

Here is the counterweight to our imposed long-suffering or self-pity. "But God is faithful." All the air is taken out of the complaining with "but." He is faithful. He is so faithful that He will help us out of our trouble before we are overcome with sorrow. Unless we have opened the "it's ok" door to extended self-pity which becomes a comfort zone.

Problem with the self-pity comfort zone is the isolation. People have become tired of whining and complaining. Self-pity creates blind spots, we can't see who we have become because we live in our whining and complaining. The blind spots cut off our vision of the way of escape.

Remember, this is our way of escape, "that you may be able to bear it," (ESV uses 'endure') That's right. It doesn't say the problems will disappear, our escape is enduring through it, whatever 'it' is. Not to avoid it or dance around it, but to bear it with and in the Lord's generous help overcome. Learn everything God wants us to learn in the time of trouble.

God is more than able to deliver us immediately out of trouble and temptation, but many times we remain like Daniel in the lion's den or Joseph in his Egyptian prison. Jesus asked God for deliverance three times and each time He told God, "your will be done Father." There are many saints and martyrs who cried out to God to be delivered from torture, the fire, lions, swords. Some escaped, but many died and they came to a far greater place with God.

In faith, believe we are all in the same boat, we all have things in common and we all serve the living God.

Remember, God tempts no man or woman.