May 4th
“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 NIV
When dealing with pornography and sexual sins, don’t stick around in situations where you’ll be tempted to compromise. Too often people linger in the temptation zone, only to weaken and fall. Joseph set a great example for us when he ran out of the house when Potiphar’s wife was putting the moves on him:
“And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” Genesis 39:10-12 NIV
Potiphar’s wife was no doubt an attractive woman, as Potiphar was a high-ranking Egyptian official. Joseph most likely instantly knew that he could not afford to stay in the house and be subjected to further temptation. She was no stranger to him, as she had been making daily offers for sex to Joseph.
Following Joseph’s example, when we’re in a tempting situation, we can look for the way out and take it. Likewise, if we know that we’re going into a tempting situation, we can change our plans. We can choose to do something different!
In the verse from 1 Timothy, Paul instructed Timothy to flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Connecting with other believers committed to purity is important to helping us stay on track in our walk with Jesus. We can encourage them and they can encourage us in our faith. For example, weekly support groups for prayer, Bible study and fellowship provide excellent opportunities for pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace while eliminating some potential opportunities for pursuing lust.
For suggestions on other things to do, see our page Tips on Staying Porn-Free.
Questions for further thought:
Why do we want to minimize our exposure time to temptations? (Matthew 15:18-20)
What does God promise to provide us when we’re facing temptations? (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Have you connected with a support group or cell group to help you walk with Christ consistently?
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for always being with me to help me resist the temptations that come up each day. Thank you for always providing a way out for me when I’m tempted. Please help me to look for and find the way out every time. Please strengthen my recognition of temptations and conviction to flee from them when possible. (and, if applicable.. “Lord, please guide me to a support group that I can meet with regularly for fellowship, Bible study and prayer.) Thank you, Jesus. In your name I pray, Amen.”