A province in Indonesia has asked a few of its residents to add a certain fashion accessory to their wardrobe—a padlock. Let me explain. To curb the prostitution that sometimes occurs in massage parlors, masseuses in East Java were prompted to wear a lock on the waistband of their pants.

While this idea seems a bit medieval, it certainly sends the message that immorality is not an option. As Christians, we need to mirror that message in our lives for “God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

Joseph was committed to living a pure life, despite the sexual advances of his boss’s wife. At first, the hardworking hunk tried to fend her off with this reality check: “Look . . . my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing?” (Genesis 39:8-9).

Although Joseph emphatically refused to commit adultery, Mrs. Potiphar had a one-track mind. So Joseph wisely “kept out of her way as much as possible” (v.10). Like Joseph, we need to avoid situations where seduction threatens our virtue.

When temptation calls, we’ve got to “run from sexual sin” (1 Corinthians 6:18). That’s what Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife pounced on him in private. Joseph “tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house” (v.12).

Joseph gave up his reputation, his job, and his status in order to honor God by abstaining from sexual sin. We need to prize purity the way he did, leaving behind unhealthy dating relationships, certain Internet sites, and even entire lifestyles—anything that’s causing us to lead impure lives. As Christians, we should be willing to do whatever it takes.