We all wrestle with temptation. The accountant at work tempted to take money and no one knows. The person on their phone tempted to look at something inappropriate. The student tempted to cheat on the final exam. The spouse tempted to look up an old boyfriend or girlfriend on social media. The addict tempted to take the drug again. We all face temptations!

Joseph did not give into the temptation which would have wreaked havoc on the plan God had for his life.  Genesis 39 gives us the account of Potiphar’s wife tempting Joseph. Joseph did the right thing when tempted.  We should do the right thing when temptation happens to us.  The secret of Joseph’s success in life was “the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a prosperous man.” Genesis 39: 2.  The Lord caused all that Joseph did to prosper. We often want to leave God out of our life when things are going good for us. We let our guard down. Temptation comes at us the strongest during times when we are at a successful point in life.  Wherever you are in life, you didn’t get there by yourself. God will make the difference in a life.

Focus on God not the temptation. Joseph asked Potiphar’s wife “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God.” Most of us over estimate our ability to handle temptation. We say, “we can handle it”, “ I would do this”, or “this won’t happen to me.”  Do not give into temptation and do the wrong thing. Remember about temptation: Satan wants you to fail, compromise is costly, integrity can be lost, and there is a way to escape temptation.

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape,” 1 Corinthians 10:13.