Ever hear the phrase, “Get out of Dodge?” From whence does that come?
In the late 1800s, cowboys often moved their cattle north from Texas into Kansas territory. This took them through a town called Dodge, where legendary lawman Wyatt Earp helped keep the peace.
They made a TV show out of it, called Gunsmoke, starring James Arness as Matt Dillon. It ran for 20 years, with 635 episodes. And one of the most famous lines in the show came whenever Matt Dillon ran someone out of town. He would commonly tell them to “Get outta Dodge!”
Sometimes, it’s good to know when to “get outta Dodge.” Think Joseph of the Old Testament. A man named Potiphar had a wife who pursued Joseph sexually. Then we read this: “One day Joseph went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. Potiphar’s wife 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 39:11-12).
Temptation will find you in expected places and at unexpected times. That’s why the best thing we can do sometimes is to just “get outta Dodge.”
Recovery Step: Don’t negotiate with the enemy. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to just run. Get outta Dodge!
