Thursday, November 21, 2013

A Tempting Secret

We returned to National League of Poker this week for the first time in months.  It turned out well - recovering from an early all-in moment of desperation with a flopped flush to finish second out of 153 players.  (Sadly, only first place paid off with money again.)

Along the way, we chatted with a man who's also written about poker online.  In fact, he claims he found "the secret to life" from several months of poker.  He sums it up in two words: "overcoming temptation" -- which he defines in several ways in our link.

He points out it's a Biblical secret -- and he's right.  Even though Jesus recommended this prayer....
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. - Matthew 6:13


....the facts of life are that moments of temptation will come, at the poker table or away from it.  Even Jesus faced it while walking the earth:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. - Hebrews 4:15


The first part of Matthew 4 and Luke 4 detail how Satan the devil tempted Jesus.  Yet the Lord said no through it all -- which is how we need to respond to sinful temptations as well.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. - I Corinthians 10:13


Pray for God to sound alarm bells when temptations happen -- whether it's an all-in moment at the table or something more serious in your life.  Ask Him to show where the escape route is.  Then don't be afraid to take it, even if it makes you look wimpy.

No comments: