Resisting Temptation: An Act of Love?

When we face temptation, we tend to think only of ourselves. Rarely do we consider how our actions might affect others. But temptation is an interpersonal issue that draws people into a tangled web and damages relationships. This was certainly the case for Joseph inGenesis 39. After he gained Potiphar’s trust, he faced a temptation that threatened to ruin everything for him: “After a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, ‘Lie with me’ ” (Gen 39:7). How could a vital young man flee such temptation? It might not be that difficult to refuse an advance like this one time, but the Bible makes it clear that Potiphar’s wife was persistent. Joseph was equally persistent in his refusal: “As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her” (Gen 39:8). So how did he do it? Joseph established boundaries and refused to cross them: his obligation to Potiphar and his obedience to God (Gen 39:8–9). He knew that yielding to temptation would affect more people than just Potiphar’s wife and himself. It would damage his relationship with God, destroy Potiphar’s respect, and cost him his position—even shatter Potiphar’s relationship with his wife. So Joseph refused to compromise his integrity, even though his decision launched him in prison when Potiphar’s wife, feeling snubbed by his rejection, accused him of pursuingher. We find stories of temptation throughout the Bible. Adam and Eve are tempted to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen 3:1–7). Jesus teaches the disciples to pray for protection from temptation (Matt 6:13). And Paul writes to the Corinthians that God won’t let us be tempted beyond our abilities since He is faithful (1 Cor 10:13). Those stories focus primarily on individuals’ struggles with temptation. But what we learn from Joseph’s story is that dealing with temptation has bigger ramifications: It involves other people, and it involves God Himself. (by Derek Brown)