He faces hardship after hardship but endures and hopes and trusts God through it all. I think the most amazing thing is he makes the best of bad circumstances and made a life where he was and despite the circumstances.
And he has some of the most profound theology rooted in real life of any man:
Genesis 50
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,”they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
This is probably my greatest struggle and much of mankind's struggle: our corrupt hearts desire to put ourselves in the place of God instead of keeping God there in our hearts, minds and actions.
Joseph also sees reality through God's eyes instead of his own or through circumstances. He also is able to forgive and love his brothers despite what they did to him.
God help me to trust that you are God and I am not. Change my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh that I might love you and love others trusting in you and not myself. Lord help me to forgive as you forgave me. Give me eyes to see from your perspective, for I am stuck and lost in my own feelings and circumstances. Lord would you give me a heart to love and serve not demand and expect. Give me hope for how I might serve you.
Amen
Here is the article that directed me to think about this:
ReplyDeletehttp://collegiateministries.intervarsity.org/blog/curve-balls-life
I’ll bet you can add more curve balls of your own. The fact is that life is unpredictable. Unexpected changes and challenges are the norm, not the exception; and when they come, they can be difficult and disorienting. Anger, frustration, hurt, loneliness, and despair come easily. Self-pity and withdrawal are common responses. We can doubt the goodness of God during those times.
That’s why I find such help and hope in the life of Joseph, told in the last half of Genesis. His life began with great promise and possibilities, but it quickly went sour. Hated by his brothers, he was sold into slavery and ended up in a foreign country not knowing the language, culture, or a single soul. Talk about a curve ball. And yet Joseph found a way to overcome his circumstances. He found a new future and made the most of his unfortunate turn of events. And most remarkably, his faith deepened and his relationship with the Lord grew stronger through the dark valley.
In time, a new perspective came to Joseph. God was in the trial. He had not been abandoned. As Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he said:
I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold as a slave to go to Egypt. Now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me here ahead of you to save people’s lives. God sent me here ahead of you to make sure you have some descendants left on earth and to keep you alive in an amazing way. So it was not you who sent me here, but God (Genesis 45:4-8).
In other words, while we might not be able to see God’s hand and his work in the midst of our trial, we often discern his presence in retrospect.
In the New Testament, James affirms this principle of spiritual growth through life’s curve balls when he writes:
My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need (James 1:2-4).
Here’s the point. Leaders know how to expect the unexpected. They don’t let the curve balls that come their way surprise them. A leader doesn’t give up easily. When things don’t go as they had hoped, they look for the new way forward. When knocked down, they get up and try something else.
As a leader you have the opportunity for growth in trials. Even if your instinct is to doubt the goodness of God, you can go deeper with God in your trials. You understand that God is with you in the valley. You might not see it in the midst of the trial, but you will later.