Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Lately, I’ve been binge watching shows about affluent crime families. Not full on mobsters, just families that dabble. They have amazing homes, glamorous clothing, and rock solid self-esteem. As I watch, if I can be totally honest, I actually find myself thinking, Perhaps I should have gone that route.  

It can be difficult to live God’s way when we see others, even the fictionalized, living exciting lives and having it pay off in tangible and beautiful ways. At least for me, it is. It doesn’t even have to be something as extreme as dabbling in the illegal (I’m not actually planning on this). When I simply see others pursuing pleasure and getting it, I tend to compare what I have and reflect on ways I can achieve or acquire what they have, even if it means walking on a different path than God has called me to.

James, the ½ brother of Jesus, wrote a letter to new believers who were struggling with something similar. Perhaps they weren’t tempted to start a new career in crime, but they were being tempted in ways we can all relate to: straying from the life God called them to and pursuing sin. To these new believers, and to us, James says the only way for humans to truly flourish and have abundant life is to see sin and temptation God’s way, and to resist it.  

In order to get his point across, James makes it clear the source of temptation is our own evil desires, not God. The pull toward sin exists within our own fallen nature. We don’t want to respond to temptation by saying  “God is tempting me” because it’s not true. God cannot tempt us because God himself cannot be tempted. God cannot do anything that is contrary to his nature.

The second thing James wants us to see is the goal of temptation. The end goal of temptation isn’t what it advertises. It’s not happiness, fulfillment, meaning or purpose. The end goal is that we would be dragged away, and enticed by our own desires.

Dragged away carries with it this idea of baiting a trap. In the original Greek, enticed means “to bait a hook.”  If you’ve ever gone fishing, you know that no fish will intentionally bite a bare hook. Temptation is the sparkly, shiny, alluring bait of sin. It is the wrapping paper on a deadly gift. It not only attracts us, but it also hides the fact that yielding to it will ultimately harm us.

God wants us to flourish by living his way. God wants us to experience spiritual life and wholeness, not sin and death. And so James’ plea is don’t be deceived. Every true and perfect gift is from God, and God’s gifts are so much better than Satan’s bargains.

God wants us to be whole, but that only comes from living his way. When we’re tempted to run ahead, we can trust God’s timing. When we’re tempted to pursue immediate happiness, we can remember true joy comes from the Lord. When we’re tempted to seek affirmation from the world, we can remember how much God loves and values us. When we’re tempted to stray from his path, we can remember he is the one who leads us on the good path. We can trust that every good and perfect gift comes from him. 

What areas in your life might you be surrendering to temptation, and resisting God’s beautiful and perfect gift of growth and transformation into his character?  

How does knowing temptation’s end goal is destruction challenge you today?