Encouragement for New BelieversSample

The Bible says, Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife… began to look at him lustfully.

“Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.

But Joseph refused.

“Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household… How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.

One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!”

Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house. (Genesis 39:6–12 NLT)

Notice how “she kept pressuring Joseph every day.” Joseph faced temptation whenever he was near Potiphar’s wife or in Potiphar’s house. He ran away, not because he was weak, but because he was smart. He knew that staying close to temptation was dangerous and could lead to trouble.

So, who and what should you avoid? What temptations do you need to get rid of to live a victorious life? Remember the old Kenny Rogers song: “Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run?” Running from temptation doesn’t dishonor God—staying in it does!