by By Javan Kilele
Do you ever wonder if Adam, when faced with temptation in the Garden of Eden, decided that living under God’s curse with Eve was better than living alone under God’s blessing. Did he weigh the cost? Or did he simply act because he was pulled by a stronger force than reason?
We may never know but what we do know is that his choice echoes in us. We know what is right, yet we tend to do what is wrong. Over and over again, we choose expediency over integrity and comfort over conviction. We choose to play safe and be politically correct rather than to speak truth and be disliked and unpopular. Unlike the early apostle who told the authorities “we will rather choose to please God rather than men,” we choose to please men and seek their approval.
But when we do this, we don’t just sin. We justify sin. We tell ourselves it wasn’t that bad — that circumstances forced us. That we meant well. That we had no choice. But we did.
Paul wrestled with this same struggle. “I want to do what is good, but I do not. I do not want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Rom. 7:19).
His words are haunting because they are ours. We, too, feel the weight of knowing what is right while doing what is wrong. We excuse, delay and rationalize. We argue that the cost of obedience is too high.
But here is the truth: rationalization doesn’t erase consequences. Adam still fell. His choice still changed everything. Ours do, too. Every compromise chips away at something deeper in us — our character, our peace and our purpose. We become weaker with every concession. What we justify today becomes habit tomorrow.
Take the story of a young man who wrestled with temptation. He planned to visit his girlfriend knowing full well what would happen. They had been planning for it, and he was excited that finally they would get to experiment with sex. Yet, instead of choosing to stay away, he made a deal with God. He prayed, “Lord, if You don’t want me to sin, deflate my bike tires on the way.” Then he took his bike and rode off.
Of course, his tires stayed full. He reached his destination and gave in to sin. Later, he claimed God had approved his actions because He had not intervened. But had God really approved? Or had the young man simply chosen to sin while shifting the blame? The problem was never his tires. It was his heart. He knew the right thing to do, but he went anyway. Instead of fleeing temptation, he rode straight into it hoping for a divine roadblock that never come.
We do this all the time. We pray for signs but deep down we have already made up our minds. We look for reasons to justify what we want rather than seeking the strength to do what is right. We ask God to stop us while we continue moving in the wrong direction. And when He does not stop us, we convince ourselves He has permitted us.
But the price of disobedience is always greater than the price of obedience. The moment of relief disobedience brings is fleeting but its impact lingers. Regret follows. Brokenness follows. Distance from God follows.
Yet there is hope. Paul, in his frustration, did not end with despair. He pointed to the only answer: “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 7:24-25). The struggle is real, but the solution is not our willpower. It is not in being better, trying harder or making fewer mistakes. The only way forward is to surrender to God . It is to trust, not in our own ability to do right, but in Christ’s power to change us.
The battle with sin does not end in this life. But we are not left to fight alone. We stand not by our strength but by the Spirit of Christ in us.
When confronted with the choice between seeking human approval and obedience or between ease and faithfulness we are not powerless. Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 10:13 reminds us that “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 an escape, so that you can stand up under it.”
We have the confidence that God is with us, and he will provide a way of escape when we are willing to choose obedience and faithfulness. So, what will you choose?
Javan Kilele serves as a youth pastor at Praise Chapel Mombasa. He is married to Joy and they are both actively involved in ministering to young people in Mombasa. He is passionate about faithful Biblical preaching and growing passionate followers of Christ through Bible-centred discipleship.
