Pick friends who respect your values; otherwise, you will end up under pressure to compromise your convictions to maintain their friendship. That’s too high a price to pay! Joseph said no to the sexual advances of his boss’s wife, and there’s a lesson for you in his story. There are people in the workplace who will push every button and probe every weakness you have, in order to bring you down to their level. And if they succeed, they’ll attack you rather than appreciate you.

What should you do? Turn to God for help! He ‘will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV) When someone seeks to compromise your character, God promises to ‘make a way of escape’ so you don’t have to succumb to temptation. Even if your decision results in your being penalised, alienated, or terminated, ask God for courage to do the right thing. His promise to you is: ‘Those who honour me I will honour.’ (1 Samuel 2:30 NIV)

Remember, it’s better to be alone and walk with God than give in to temptation, violate His Word, and compromise your convictions by ‘going along to get along’. When you stand tall and do the right thing, you bring honour and glory to God. Jude writes, ‘To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!’ (Jude 1:24–25 NIV)