I like Joseph.
In the midst of suffering, he didn't play the victim, and he didn't blame his brothers. He trusted that God would make him fruitful even in the land of his suffering, and offered up his gifts regardless of his circumstances.
Who woulda thunk that an ordinary boy would be sold into slavery by his own family, discovered for his gifts while imprisoned, and elevated to manage a nation in the midst of a famine?
I feel like Joseph sometimes.
I was a punk who thought I was awesome. I used my gifts and strengths for self-promotion. I've talked/whispered in my sleep that I will take over the world (yes, it really happened).
And yet in the midst of my inflated pride and self-centeredness, God gripped my heart to let go of my reign and put someone else at the center. I don't get it sometimes. I didn't seek God nor ask for God, but I guess that's the amazing thing. I didn't choose God, He found me and revealed Himself to me.
Skipping ahead a little here, but I love what Joseph says at the end of his story:
Victor, not the victim.
In the midst of suffering, he didn't play the victim, and he didn't blame his brothers. He trusted that God would make him fruitful even in the land of his suffering, and offered up his gifts regardless of his circumstances.
Who woulda thunk that an ordinary boy would be sold into slavery by his own family, discovered for his gifts while imprisoned, and elevated to manage a nation in the midst of a famine?
I feel like Joseph sometimes.
Source: The Brick Testament |
And yet in the midst of my inflated pride and self-centeredness, God gripped my heart to let go of my reign and put someone else at the center. I don't get it sometimes. I didn't seek God nor ask for God, but I guess that's the amazing thing. I didn't choose God, He found me and revealed Himself to me.
Skipping ahead a little here, but I love what Joseph says at the end of his story:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." - Genesis 50:20
Victor, not the victim.
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