Whether you are in a position of “leadership” or not, there is much any Christian can glean from studying the life of Joseph. In Genesis 37:2-3, the word introduces us to a boy loved by the father. A man God handpicked and chosen from among 12 sons to deliver an entire generation. Joseph is a favorite son and he knew it. One day, his father sends him to Shechem to check on his brothers and bring back word. However, since the brothers knew Joseph, the snitch, would be sent, they decided to proceed to Dothan. Perhaps, if Joseph had any regrets this day, it was meeting the man who directed him to Dothan. Joseph was set up for 13 years of struggle and hardship.
In the Face of Betrayal and Rejection
First, Joseph is stripped of his glory, the robe of man colors which his father had gifted him (Genesis 37:23). The Lord ensures he is stripped of the thing that made him unique. His first lesson was that not everybody will like you and it is never “my way or the highway.” In an instant, he transitioned from being a favorite child to experiencing the pit of betrayal and rejection from family.
Maintaining Integrity
Joseph is now sold as a slave to Potiphar’s house. He becomes a house boy, such a humbling thing. In Potiphar’s house, the Lord still shows him He is with him through ensuring Joseph was put in charge of the affairs of the house. While he is thinking his life is just about to pick up, another shift appears in the name of Potiphar’s wife. At this point, in Genesis 39:6-10, Joseph must learn to maintain integrity even when it hurts. He must choose between sleeping with Potiphar’s wife to secure his job or the consequences of not.
Challenge in Dealing with Difficult People
Things get very complicated for him as in Genesis 39:20 he is thrown in prison. I bet he is wishing he has a pastor’s number so that he can call for special prayer of deliverance, like most of us would. He doesn’t think he is anywhere near God’s will and maybe seems to drift further away from the dreams he had earlier. Surprisingly, in prison he is still put in charge, and he has to learn to lead with minimal supervision. Here he gets to learn to lead diverse people, difficult people, people with victim mentalities etc. He also learns the Egyptian language.
The odds seem to be changing for him when the king’s cupbearer and baker are imprisoned, in Genesis 40. He interpreted their dreams, and things happened just as he had said. Perhaps, he thought his liberation was near now that he knew some serious people. God makes him learn how to handle rejection, ingratitude and disregard from people he had helped. He learned this when the king’s cup bearer forgot him for two years as per Genesis 40:23.
God orchestrated a situation, that only God can, when the King had dreams (Genesis 41) and needed an interpreter. It came at a point when Joseph had probably reconciled with his situation and was fully waiting on God. Joseph successfully interpreted the king’s dream, and in Genesis 41:39-42 he is made second in command after the King.
Manesseh and Ephraim
In Genesis 41:50-52 we are presented with two major lessons that every Christian (whether in leadership or not) must learn in order to be effective in their witness for Christ. Joseph named his first son Manasseh, meaning “forgetting” or “God has made me forget all my toil.” We too must choose to move on from the pain, trouble and suffering of our past, after which one is able to become fruitful. (Joseph named his second son Ephraim, meaning “fruitful” or “God has made me fruitful.”)
The boy who would snitch on everything bad his brothers did had learned grace, forgiveness, and the power to overlook insult. After becoming second in command, he never went back looking to take out revenge on Potiphar, nor did he ever report his brothers to their father when they finally reunited.
When we choose to cease dwelling on our pain, whatever the source of that pain may be, we are able to become fruitful in and through our lives … just as Joseph did.
