Integrity In The Area Of SexSample

Playing into Circumstances

One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. - Gen 39:11

Potiphar’s wife frequently tempted Joseph to sleep with her. But this day he found himself alone in the house with her. The pressure was strong, and the thought that ‘no one would know’ may have crossed his mind. But Joseph’s reverence for God and his determination to stay pure helped him to conquer this extremely strong temptation.

Many times our circumstances set the stage for our fall. We are extremely vulnerable to being drawn to someone of the opposite gender, if our own marriage is going through some strain. Then innocent smiles, kind words, an accidental touch ─ all appear to be appealing. A red flag should go up if we start sharing with them our personal problems, instead of keeping the relationship professional.

The cumulative stress of work pressure, travel, things that have gone wrong, etc., can even make us imagine that we deserve a little bit of self-indulgence. Consider what can happen when you travel to a distant place with this ‘friendly’ colleague and at the end of the day’s tiring work meet for dinner at the hotel. Even if you travel alone to another place, think of the ‘opportunities’ you have for indulging yourself in many ways.

A class reunion where you meet your ‘old flame’ can stir up all the infatuation of that time, and before you realise it, you find yourself craving to relive those days of fun and pleasure. Opportunities for sin are practically unlimited, and if the devil knows we have a weakness in this area, he will only be too glad to arrange special attractions for us. Nothing but rigorous watchfulness and cries to God can preserve us.

What helped Joseph was that he knew God, and he did not want to fail Him Who meant so much to him. His reply to his temptress was, ‘How can I do this to my God?’

Lord, I don’t want to fall! But I can’t manage without You. Help me to keep close to You at all times. Amen