Time With Joseph: Why Am I Here?

Before I move on to looking at what happens after Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream, I really want to go back to Joseph’s character in the context of all that went on and look a bit more deeply at that.

The reason I am looking at this is that this morning I was praying/thinking/reflecting about what it means to be willing to be used by God for other people. I’ve mentioned that a number of times in the last few days - Joseph was willing to be used by God.

The reason I thought of it this morning is that as I leave to move on to the next phase of my life, as this one is pretty much done, I have had to compare myself to Joseph and ask the extent to which I let myself be used by God in a situation that I had judged to be unfavourable for me.

Joseph could have easily been vindictive or unconcerned or bitter or hateful to Potiphar and especially in the prison. I say easily not from imagination, but personal experience. He could’ve spent the time feeling sorry for himself and blaming everyone around him for his misfortunes, thereby remaining useless to everyone and himself.

We say that God was with Joseph and so Potiphar prospered and things went well in the prison. But I think it’s valuable for us to stop for a second and think about what would have happened if God was with Joseph, as he was, but Joseph had a negative and self-pitying attitude towards everything. There’s no way he would’ve enjoyed the privileges he ended up enjoying even as he was a slave and later a prisoner. No way. In fact he would’ve just been seen as a nuisance to everyone and probably would have had a more difficult and less comfortable time.

Secondly, and more importantly, for God to have blessed Potiphar while Joseph was there, doesn’t it indicate that Joseph, far from hating his ‘master’, actually prayed for him and for his prosperity, which God answered. We all know that if Joseph’s thoughts were negative towards Potiphar. Those negative thoughts would’ve manifested in Potiphar’s life- his home and his business. However it is the opposite that happened.

So it wasn’t that Joseph was just being diligent in his work. He was showing love towards his ‘master’ and praying for him through his positive thoughts, words and deeds towards them.

At some point and in some area of our lives and relationships we might be finding it really difficult. But we need to see that we are placed in places, not so much because these places or situations or relationships can give us anything, but because God wants to use us to bless these people. Or else why would he put such people of light as us in their midst ? For what does it mean if a king or a queen is in the midst of a people ? The people will surely be favoured.

This is how we need to see ourselves. As people that have been placed in certain places/situations/relationships to benefit those involved. And this knowledge must necessarily affect the way in which we behave, the words we speak and the thoughts we allow to stay in our minds.

I’ve learnt from Joseph today that apart from the fact that everything happens for a reason and towards a greater purpose, I also am assigned to shine my light to all those around me. And this means that I have to pray for the very same entities that might frustrate or annoy or disappoint me.

It may seem easier said than done but difficulty is a function of the mind.

To wrap up this discussion point, if we look at everything as a whole - God’s presence with Joseph and Joseph’s equal willingness to be used by God, we see that they work together towards this greater end that we are looking forward to.

God is with us. He’s done his bit. Let’s work in harmony with him and do our bit, ignoring any commentary that inspires self-pity, but focusing on our roles as points of light of the greater light.

Have a good day everyone.