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by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Proverbs 9:8,9
Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser.

I believe if there is anything that can ensure and incorporate character, godly character in your life and in mine, it is through accountability. You don't have to go long before you learn of some Christian pastor, singer, evangelist or ministry leader who has lost his or her ministry, usually because of adultery. And because of my position I hear many more stories that never made it into the media.

I once sat down and wrote a list of characteristics of people who have fallen to temptation. Over and over, this is how other people described them:

A loose spirit with few boundaries;

Rationalizes and justifies behavior;

Detached, reclusive, insulated from people;

Makes decisions without consulting others;

A lack of authenticity and realness about his or her life;

Defensive, proud, unwilling to admit mistakes and failure;

Hides major areas of life from others;

Intimidating, unapproachable, secretive.

It's amazing to see how these descriptions pop up again and again. They are isolated, keeping people at arm's length, and not willing to submit themselves to the scrutiny of others.

When you are isolated, you are much more susceptible to temptation. Years ago I attended a Christian writers' conference in Minneapolis. I was walking down the stairwell in the hotel when I looked down and saw a pornographic magazine lying there. I walked on, but later in the day I saw it in the same spot.

Here I was, alone in Minneapolis. I could pick up that magazine, carry it a few feet to my door and read it in the privacy of my room, and nobody would ever know.

Fortunately, I made the correct decision and left the magazine alone. But I could understand the power of temptation to a person who is alone. Isolation is one of the most powerful weapons the enemy uses to trap Christians.

Prayer:

That you would have the strength and wisdom to avoid situations where you are isolated from others.

Discuss: In what situations do you find yourself most open to temptation?

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