In today’s verse, imagine God is down the street from you, waving His arms at you and shouting, “Don’t go that way. Don’t even think about it. Turn around. Keep moving.”

Why would God have such a strong reaction? Because God knows something about wrong choices, and that is, they almost never start with a giant leap. They start with a tiny step in the wrong direction, and then another, and then another. Nobody wakes up and decides to become a liar. But it usually starts with one small lie that seemed easier than the truth. That’s why God doesn’t say, “Walk slowly down that path and then be really careful.” He says to turn away and get out of there!

Joseph is a great example of this. He was working in a powerful man’s house in Egypt, and someone kept pressuring him to do something he knew was wrong. Joseph didn’t stand around debating it or trying to be polite about it. He ran. He ran so fast he left his coat behind (Genesis 39). That looked strange in the moment, but it was the smartest thing he ever did.

For you, a situation you need to run away from might look like your group of friends saying mean things about a kid at school. Or watching the video that doesn’t look like something your parents would want you watching. Or some kids daring you to do something you know is wrong. They might seem small steps at the time but do what Joseph did—get out of there! You don’t have to argue. You don’t have to give a big reason. You can just leave. Walk away. Say, “Nope, not doing that,” and go somewhere else.

Take Action: Make an escape plan before you need it. Sit down and think of two situations where you might get pressured to do something wrong. Decide right now, while nothing is happening, exactly what you’ll do. Write it down if that helps. Then ask God to help you remember your plan. Deciding and planning ahead of time is half the battle!