Stay Away from Temptation

(Lessons from Potiphar's Wife)

"And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her." Genesis 39:10

Joseph was tempted every day by Potiphar's wife. So he made an important decision, which is a good lesson for us today. He didn't just refuse to commit adultery with her, he refused to even be with her.

Matthew Henry said “Those that would be kept from harm must keep themselves out of harm's way.

Another old Proverbs says, “He who keeps off the ice will not slip.”

Joseph tried to keep himself out of situations where he would be tempted. He stayed away from this woman as much as possible. He was a wise man! This is an important lesson in dealing with temptation. If something or someone tempts you to sin, if it's possible, stay away from it.

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1Thessalonians 5:22

"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away." Proverbs 4:14-15

There are 2 particular things that are a temptation to me.

1)Being covetous

I find it a temptation to buy things impulsively that I'll regret later on.

So to avoid doing that I sometimes only take money for what I have to get or I shop in a hurry. I also avoid 'shopping' when I don't need anything!

2)Wasting time

Since I am home most of the time, it's very easy for me to waste time on the internet. Then I wonder why I don't have enough time to get my work done!

For this temptation, after I've used it in the morning I sometimes turn the computer off for the day. Or if I need the internet later on, I'll switch off the internet until I need it. Then I'm not so tempted to quickly check this or quickly do this!

There is a temptation that a lot of teen girls face and that is in relationships. If you are in a relationship with a guy, there is the temptation to go too far and ruin your purity or even just to do something you'll regret later on if that person doesn't end up being your husband.

There are precautions you can take to keep from being tempted. You can avoid being alone together; take someone else along or stay in groups. My husband and I didn't take this precaution when we were getting to know each other. We didn't see each other very often as it was a long distance relationship and we also didn't talk on the phone as I don't like talking on the phone much and my husband wasn't very good at English. So we did need some time to be alone and talk in private! But we took another precaution which kept us from being tempted when we were alone. When we got engaged we decided to not touch each other until our wedding day. We stuck to that and I'm glad we did! We have no regrets.

Stop and think about the temptations you face. Are there ways you can prevent yourself from being tempted?