The Three T's: Temptation, Trial, and Tragedy

If you've been around long enough, you've encountered temptation, trial, and tragedy in your life. It's no coincidence that the very first chapter of human history includes all three: temptation entered the world, trial followed the yielding to that temptation, and from that moment forward, the human experience has been marked by tragedy.

But God used the ultimate tragedy to provide a permanent solution to our trials and temptations. The same pattern that brought destruction became the pathway to redemption.

Every temptation begins with a seed, usually a thought that there might be something better out there if we just step outside the boundaries we know are there for our protection. The question isn't whether these seeds will be planted, they will. But when they’re planted, will we water them?

Think about it this way: inspiration and temptation are both about seeds, but they grow toward opposite destinations. Inspiration plants seeds of selflessness, growth, and purpose—helping us become the best version of ourselves and serve something bigger than ourselves. Temptation plants seeds of selfishness, instant gratification, and self-serving desires.

Both operate under the Law of Compounding. Each choice, each decision to either water inspiration or feed temptation, builds on the last. Neither path offers immediate consequences. They both require time to mature and bear fruit.

But what I’ve learned is that inspiration is about listening to one spirit, while temptation is about listening to another. Just as it was in the beginning with Adam and Eve, temptation always comes with a question: "Should you or shouldn't you?" More importantly, it asks: "Whose voice are you going to trust?"

This brings me back to something I mentioned in my last blog, when my wife Lora helped me understand there was something wrong with the way I worded my own why statement. For years, I described myself as wanting to be "a person of influence." She hated that phrase, and I couldn't understand why until I really listened to what she was trying to tell me.

The word "influence" in our social media age has become tied to narcissism, to the drive for personal recognition and power over others. But when I shifted to describing myself as "a guide," everything changed. The difference is profound: influencers say, "look at me," while guides say, "look where we're going."

When people climb Mount Everest, you rarely see their sherpa's names in the headlines, even though without them, the climbers never would have made it. The sherpa isn't looking for fame; he's focused on getting everyone safely to the summit and back.

This difference captures the heart of inspiration versus temptation. Inspiration looks forward, toward what we can become and what we can help others do. Temptation is self-centered, focused on our own immediate needs, wants, and desires—sometimes at the expense of others.

Interestingly, both inspiration and temptation can lead to trials and tragedy. The apostles lived lives of profound inspiration, dedicating themselves to serving others and spreading a message of hope and eternal life. Yet with the exception of John, all of them were martyred. They faced trials and met tragic deaths.

Compare that to some of the leaders of the 20th century. Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot combined were responsible for an estimated 60-100 million deaths. They lived lives driven by temptation—the selfish desire for power, control, and dominion over others. They also faced trials and met tragic ends.

The difference between these two groups isn't in what they experienced, but what their experiences produced. The apostles' trials and tragedies resulted in billions of people experiencing salvation and eternal life. Their sacrifices brought freedom and life to countless generations.

This reveals the nature of inspiration versus temptation.

The apostles are remembered as heroes not because they avoided suffering, but because they chose to suffer for something greater than themselves. Their martyrdom had meaning because it served a purpose beyond their own comfort or survival.

The dictators are remembered as villains not because they suffered (though they ultimately did), but because they chose to cause suffering in service of their own desires for power and control.

The voice of temptation always speaks the language of scarcity and fear, but the voice of inspiration speaks the language of abundance and purpose.

Each day we're writing our own story. We're choosing whether we will be a hero or a villain. We're deciding whether our trials and tragedies will serve a greater purpose, or whether they'll become cautionary tales of selfishness.

In every temptation, trial, and tragedy, we face the same choice Adam and Eve faced in the garden: Whose voice will we listen to?