When someone comes to you for counseling, you will often find that part of their problem is that they believe some lie about God and his work. First Corinthians 10:13 provides a helpful framework for a homework assignment that can uncover these lies.
In this verse, Paul here seems to address four common lies about God. I set up the homework this way:
- Declaration: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.Question: Where have you been tempted to think that your situation is unique and that you have been singled out for particular suffering?
- Declaration: God is faithful.Question: Where have you tended to believe that God has been unfaithful to his promises to you?
- Declaration: He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.Question: Where have you thought that you have been given more than you can handle or that the extreme pressures of the situation have caused you to sin?
- Declaration: He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Question: Where have you felt trapped, with no reasonable way to deal with your situation?
Adapted from Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands. A few excerpts from this book also appear in our resource Counseling toward Repentance.