Most of us are familiar with the fight or flight response. There are times we need to stand our ground and there are times to run. I can think of a few things that would cause me run pell-mell in the opposite direction: flesh-eating zombies, a lion prowling the streets, or a tyrannosaurus-rex looking for a snack. Well, even if the t-rex was just strolling down the street, I'd still run. But, there are times that, even though we want to run
away and can justify our flight, we need to stand our ground and fight. And sometimes that means enduring.
When I think of someone who endured, my mind races to Joseph, Jacob's beloved son with his favored wife,
Rachel. Joseph's story began with his birth in Genesis 30, and
stretches like an epic movie through the closing verses of first book of the
Bible. Despite some awful adventures, Joseph rose to great heights in a country that wasn't even his
own. He was a fighter who endured.
Joseph's story takes an interesting twist because Father, Jacob, favored Joseph
over the other sons. It's a long story, however the short version is that
Joseph received a multi-colored coat from his father, which gave, Joseph, the favored son a "big head" and made his brothers jealous. Exacerbating the situation, Joseph shared two dreams in which his entire family bowed down to him (Genesis 37:5-11). Talk about fuel on an already smoldering fire; out of
spite, his brothers sold their "spoiled brother" to some spice
merchants who carried him off to Egypt. The deceitful brothers then told father Jacob that the favorite
son was dead (Genesis 37:28).
Joseph's fairy-tale
existence at the hands of his doting father came to an abrupt end when
he found himself working in the household of a rich Egyptian named
Potiphar. Joseph was a great worker and his master trusted and showed him favor. Unfortunately, Potiphar's wife showed also showed favor toward
Joseph, but it was a favor that our hero did not want. Run,
Joseph, Run!!! Although he tried to, Potiphar's depraved and scorned
wife, lied and told her gullible husband that Joseph tried to make sport of her. Despite doing the right
thing, Joseph ended up in prison (Genesis 39).
Have ever found
yourself in a similar situation? You try to do the right thing, but
end up being the one people think is guilty or out of whack; running and hiding seems like the best solution. I'm sure that Joseph wanted to hide, too, but his escape route was blocked by prison bars. I think it is amazing that
Joseph never got bitter. The Bible records the fact that
God was with Joseph. He found favor with the warden then ended up being in charge of many things within the prison.
Joseph could have complained about the wrong he suffered; no one would have faulted him. But, he didn't. Despite being favored, I'm
sure that the conditions in that prison were anything but
luxurious; imagine a stinky, filthy, dank, and dark place that hopeless prisoners called home. I'm sure it was a dreadful place, but
Joseph endured and stood his moral ground. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I would have a hard
time just surviving a modern-day "roach motel," but Joseph quietly endured.
Joseph knew God had a bigger picture even though it had yet to come into focus. How often, when faced with less-than-desirable circumstances or
when we have been wronged, do we think like Joseph? Probably not very often as we should. As Christians, God
knows that we will not ever be perfect, but there isn't anything wrong
with Him expecting us to have faith in His bigger picture when things
aren't going our way.
Ultimately, Joseph did get out of jail and he ended up living in the palace of the pharaoh. Before long, the pharaoh put the former prisoner in charge of the entire land of Egypt. During his time office a terrible famine swept through all the nations of the known world, including Egypt. However, Joseph had prepared ahead of time and was able to sell grain to the multitudes. Then one day, Joseph's brothers came from Canaan to find food for their family.
Joseph did not immediately reveal his identity his brothers, but he did allow an audience with them. Honestly, how many of us would have received these rascals without throwing them in jail if they had sold us to spice merchants? We often have too much fun nursing the "wrongs" we suffer or holding on to grudges that fester because we refuse to forgive. I don't think anyone would have blamed Joseph if he had booted his brothers' right out of Egypt without one ephah of grain. But, Joseph walked faithfully with God and saw His bigger picture:
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me," When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." (Genesis 45:5-4 NIV)
Joseph endured many years of harsh living conditions, yet he overcame them all. Joseph became the man God needed him to be. Sure, he was whisked away from his self-centered life as a favored son, but God had bigger and better things in store for Joseph.
Practical Christianity means that sometimes we need to get over ourselves. So what, if some nincompoop does us wrong; so what, if we encounter roach-motel type circumstances that make us want to scream. Sometimes we need to flee a particular situation, but other times we need to quit whining, stand our ground, and endure. Joseph did and he succeeded. We can learn a lot from Joseph; man of endurance. Yes, we may need to run from a hungry tyrannosaurus-rex, but we need to stand our ground when it comes to enduring difficult times.
Most of us are familiar with the fight or flight response. There are times we need to stand our ground and there are times to run. I can think of a few things that would cause me run pell-mell in the opposite
direction: flesh-eating zombies, a lion prowling the streets, or a tyrannosaurus-rex looking for a snack. Well, even if the t-rex was just strolling down the street, I'd still run. But, there are times that, even though we want to run
away and can justify our flight, we need to stand our ground and fight. And sometimes that means enduring.
When I think of someone who endured, my mind races to Joseph, Jacob's beloved son with his favored wife, Rachel. Joseph's story began with his birth in Genesis 30, and stretches like an epic movie through the closing verses of first book of the Bible. Despite some awful adventures, Joseph rose to great heights in a country that wasn't even his own. He was a fighter who endured.
Joseph's story takes an interesting twist because Father, Jacob, favored Joseph over the other sons. It's a long story, however the short version is that Joseph received a multi-colored coat from his father, which gave, Joseph, the favored son a "big head" and made his brothers jealous. Exacerbating the situation, Joseph shared two dreams in which his entire family bowed down to him (Genesis 37:5-11). Talk about fuel on an already smoldering fire; out of spite, his brothers sold their "spoiled brother" to some spice merchants who carried him off to Egypt. The deceitful brothers then told father Jacob that the favorite son was dead (Genesis 37:28).
Joseph's fairy-tale existence at the hands of his doting father came to an abrupt end when he found himself working in the household of a rich Egyptian named Potiphar. Joseph was a great worker and his master trusted and showed him favor. Unfortunately, Potiphar's wife showed also showed favor toward Joseph, but it was a favor that our hero did not want. Run, Joseph, Run!!! Although he tried to, Potiphar's depraved and scorned wife, lied and told her gullible husband that Joseph tried to make sport of her. Despite doing the right thing, Joseph ended up in prison (Genesis 39).
Have ever found yourself in a similar situation? You try to do the right thing, but end up being the one people think is guilty or out of whack; running and hiding seems like the best solution. I'm sure that Joseph wanted to hide, too, but his escape route was blocked by prison bars. I think it is amazing that Joseph never got bitter. The Bible records the fact that God was with Joseph. He found favor with the warden then ended up being in charge of many things within the prison.
Joseph could have complained about the wrong he suffered; no one would have faulted him. But, he didn't. Despite being favored, I'm sure that the conditions in that prison were anything but luxurious; imagine a stinky, filthy, dank, and dark place that hopeless prisoners called home. I'm sure it was a dreadful place, but Joseph endured and stood his moral ground. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I would have a hard time just surviving a modern-day "roach motel," but Joseph quietly endured.
Joseph knew God had a bigger picture even though it had yet to come into focus. How often, when faced with less-than-desirable circumstances or when we have been wronged, do we think like Joseph? Probably not very often as we should. As Christians, God knows that we will not ever be perfect, but there isn't anything wrong with Him expecting us to have faith in His bigger picture when things aren't going our way.
Ultimately, Joseph did get out of jail and he ended up living in the palace of the pharaoh. Before long, the pharaoh put the former prisoner in charge of the entire land of Egypt. During his time office a terrible famine swept through all the nations of the known world, including Egypt. However, Joseph had prepared ahead of time and was able to sell grain to the multitudes. Then one day, Joseph's brothers came from Canaan to find food for their family.
Joseph did not immediately reveal his identity his brothers, but he did allow an audience with them. Honestly, how many of us would have received these rascals without throwing them in jail if they had sold us to spice merchants? We often have too much fun nursing the "wrongs" we suffer or holding on to grudges that fester because we refuse to forgive. I don't think anyone would have blamed Joseph if he had booted his brothers' right out of Egypt without one ephah of grain. But, Joseph walked faithfully with God and saw His bigger picture:
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me," When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." (Genesis 45:5-4 NIV)
Practical Christianity means that sometimes we need to get over ourselves. So what, if some nincompoop does us wrong; so what, if we encounter roach-motel type circumstances that make us want to scream. Sometimes we need to flee a particular situation, but other times we need to quit whining, stand our ground, and endure. Joseph did and he succeeded. We can learn a lot from Joseph; man of endurance. Yes, we may need to run from a hungry tyrannosaurus-rex, but we need to stand our ground when it comes to enduring difficult times.
(c)2009 Shona Neff