One of the big takeaways from Sunday is that Jesus wants us to resist temptation. In Matthew 5:29-30, he says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Strong words, huh? Jesus knows that sin is serious business, which means we should be on guard for temptation. We should make every effort to cut out sources of temptation before they lead us into sin. How that principle plays out is messy and differs from person to person. So, for this week’s blog post, I want to throw out a few considerations to guide our efforts.

Not everyone struggles in the same way – Different people have different battles. Temptations that are light for you may be heavy for others. Don’t look down on someone else who must make greater effort in a certain area than you. Your ease isn’t a sign that you’re more spiritual. It’s evidence of the grace God has given. Be patient with each other.

Be careful with your rules – That leads us to this second consideration. Over time, believers often develop their own guardrails for avoiding particular temptations. This can be a good thing if it helps us avoid sin. However, we should be cautious about applying our rules to other people. For example, a believer who knows they are tempted to drunkenness may have a rule about never drinking at home alone, but another Christian may not face that temptation and have no problem enjoying a beer alone at home. Different people have different needs.

You have help – Resisting temptation is not a one-on-one duel to the death. Satan likes that lie because it leaves you at a disadvantage, but it’s still a lie. Discipleship through relationship means that other brothers and sisters are there to help. This is one of the primary benefits of a small group. It gives you other Christians you can count on.

Resisting temptation is hard, but Jesus’ words remind us that it’s important. As new-life people living in an old-life world, Jesus calls us to be different. He doesn’t’ say it’ll be easy, but he does say he’ll be with us – even to the end of the age.