Pressure. It’s not always a bad thing. When I wash my truck, I like to use pressurized water. When we blow up a balloon we pressurize the air going in so that the balloon will inflate. But pressure applied in the wrong way or at the wrong time can lead to bad results. Take that same pressurized water that goes through a pressure washer and you can cut your skin.

Pressure isn’t a bad thing but when it’s the wrong pressure applied in the wrong way at the wrong time it can lead to devastating results.

Recently we talked about a type of pressure that we all go through in life. In some places we call it testing. In others it’s called trials. And in other circles it’s called temptation. They all three essentially are the same idea. The end result is generally what determines the word we use.

A test is something that isn’t intended to cripple us. A trial is something that makes us struggle and often rely on other people to help us through. And a temptation is generally something that leads us into a bad scenario that often bites us in the butt.

So the Bible uses these three words almost interchangeably. And be totally honest it’s super confusing the way we do it! In several cases we see these words used in a variety of scenarios and think they mean totally different things. But in actuality it’s the same original word that we translate differently based on the context.

In one place it says we are going to face trials of various kinds. In another we read that with every temptation there will be a way out. And in yet another we see that faith that is tested genuine will be like gold refined by fire. Three words trial, test, temptation and they all are the same root word. Confusing huh!?

One way that I tend to look at this is by the outcome. And this is where I kind of disagree with how some have translated the Bible throughout history. For me a test or a trial is something that is intended to cause us to slow down and consider what and who we know. Often these types of events can be overcome if we use the resources that are at our fingertips. But a temptation isn’t the same.

A temptation is something that often brings defeat. Temptations will generally put us in the driver seat and lead us to rely on our own self centered ways. What makes me happy? What can I do to overcome this? What’s in this for me? Why is this happening to me? I deserve better. These are all things that come out of temptations.

A famous, and generally misquoted, bible verse about temptation says that God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear but in every temptation there will be a way of escape that he provides for us. Note that the testing, trial or temptation will be greater than we can bear on our own. The point is that we will go through these things, and if we don’t look for the way out we will be overcome. The point is the way out.

What’s the way out in your temptation? Where has God put an open door in the midst of your struggle? Are you so busy trying to figure out the problem that you fail to see the open door right in front of you? If so then perhaps you’ve turned a test or trial into a temptation.

Look for the way out. It’s most assuredly there. You just have to look for it.