Whatever
He did God made it succeed. I love to read the story of Joseph life. I
know his story like the back of my hand, I have read it so often, I
could probably write a book on it. Everything he did or touched was a
blessing. In the Pit He prospered, the Prison and the Palace he
Prospered.
Genesis 39:2-6, “…the Lord blessed
the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was on
everything that Potiphar owned, in the house and in the field. So
Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with Joseph there he
did not [need to] pay attention to anything except the food he ate…” (AMP);
Genesis 39:23, “The warden paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s
care because the Lord was with him; whatever Joseph did, the Lord made it
prosper.” (AMP)
HIGHLY FAVORED: Joseph’s family history had a big
impact on the direction of his life. This journey from favored son to slave,
prisoner to Egypt’s second-in-command, ultimately led to provisions for all of
Israel during seven years of famine when the nation otherwise would have
perished. Jacob’s life is a story
of how God can take the worst possible circumstances and turn them into a
positive outcome for His people.
JOSEPH’S PARALLELS TO JESUS:
1.
BOTH WERE HIGHLY FAVORED BY THEIR FATHERS: (Genesis 37:3, “Now as it happened, Israel
loved Joseph more than any of his other children, because Joseph was born to
him in his old age. So one day Jacob gave him a special gift – a brightly
colored coat” (TLB); Matthew 3:17, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my
beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with him” (TLB);
2.
BOTH WERE SHEPHERDS TO THEIR FATHER’S SHEEP: (Genesis 37:2, “Jacob’s son Joseph was now
seventeen years old. His job, along with his half brothers, the sons of his
father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, was to shepherd his father’s flock…” (TLB);
John 10:11, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for
the sheep” TLB);
3.
BOTH EXPERIENCED EXTREME TEMPTATION: (Genesis 39:7, “One day at about this time
Potiphar’s wife began making eyes at Joseph, and suggested that he come and
sleep with her” (TLB); Matthew 4:1, “Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness
by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan” TLB);
4.
BOTH WERE SOLD FOR THE PRICE OF A SLAVE: (Genesis 37:28, “So when the traders came by,
his brothers pulled Joseph out of the well and sold him to them for twenty
pieces of silver, and they took him along to Egypt” TLB; Matthew 26:15, “and
asked, “How much will you pay me to get Jesus into your hands?” And they gave
him thirty coins” TLB);
5.
BOTH WERE BOUND WITH CHAINS: (Genesis 39:20, “He threw Joseph into prison,
where the king’s prisoners were kept in chains” TLB; Matthew 27:2, “Then they
sent him in chains to Pilate, the Roman governor” TLB);
6.
BOTH FORGAVE THOSE WHO HARMED THEM: (Genesis 45:14-15, “Weeping with joy, he
embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. Then Joseph kissed each of his
brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him”
(NLT); Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive these people,” Jesus said, “for they don’t
know what they are doing…” TLB); and
7.
BOTH SAVED THEIR NATION WHEN GOD TURNED WHAT WAS
EVIL TO GOOD:(Genesis 50:20, “As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what
you meant for evil, for he brought me to this high position I have today so
that I could save the lives of many people” TLB; 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, “Our
words are wise because they are from God, telling of God’s wise plan to bring
us into the glories of heaven. This plan was hidden in former times, though it
was made for our benefit before the world began. But the great men of the world
have not understood it; if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord
of Glory” TLB).
May you as people of God, and
Disciples of Christ, likewise, live lifestyles that Parallel that of your
Savior! Now, to learn some leadership lessons from Joseph’s Journey!
LEADERSHIP LESSON #1 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: POSSESS THE
POWER OF FORGIVENESS! (Genesis
50:18-21, All those years that Joseph languished as an Egyptian slave
could have been spent plotting revenge on his brothers. He could have easily
let his anger turn to hatred, but
instead, he chose to forgive them. When he later found himself
second-in-command over all of Egypt, his brothers stood before him and he spoke
to them kindly, assuring them of his forgiveness. True Leaders know that Forgiveness frees them from the bondage of past
wrongs. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave
you” (Ephesians 4:26-32 MSG).
LEADERSHIP LESSON #2 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: PROVE LOYAL
AND TRUSTWORTHY! (Genesis
39:2-6, His Egyptian Master became very fond of Joseph and made him his
personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning
everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the
Egyptian—all because of Joseph. Like an Effective Leader, Joseph demonstrated
that every task – no matter how big or small – should be done in God’s Honor. Keep
in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen
servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of
Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.” (Colossians 3:22-25 MSG).
LEADERSHIP LESSON #3 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: LEARN TO
TOLERATE TEMPORARY TOUGH TIMES! (Genesis
40:23, Truth is, Joseph could have tried to make things happen on his
own (Example: Abraham, Sarah, Hagar,
Ishmael); but instead he
waited on God to position him in the right place. God reminded the
cupbearer of his interaction with Joseph when the king dreamed a dream, and the
cupbearer secured him an audience with the king, which quickly led to a
lucrative advisory position in the palace. Which is why, you should always heed this Scriptural Admonishment:
LEADERSHIP LESSON
#4 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: YOUR GIFT WILL GET YOU THROUGH! (Genesis 41:39-43, Joseph had an
amazing gift that God used to save Egypt and the nation of Israel from famine.
Joseph’s journey from the day of his brothers’ betrayal to the day he stood
before Pharaoh to interpret his dream, ultimately resulted in salvation for
Joseph’s family.
LEADERSHIP LESSON #5 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: MAINTAIN A
GODLY REPUTATION! (Genesis
39:6-10, Joseph was unwilling to compromise his relationship with God. Even though Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph
with assurances that her husband would be none the wiser, he knew dishonoring
Potiphar was a break in trust with his master and, even more important, a sin
against God. Joseph weighed her proposition and made a decision
that kept him in right standing with God.
LEADERSHIP LESSON #6 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: ALWAYS BE A
BLESSING!(Genesis 17:3-8, Like
Joseph, when we live our lives according to God’s design, we, too, can be
blessed to be a blessing. “And now
that we are Christ’s we are the true descendants of Abraham, and all of God’s
promises to him belong to us” (Galatians
3:29 TLB)
I admonish you to follow along
the Journey of Joseph and glean from his nuggets of Effective Leadership.
Parallel the Life of Jesus; Possess the Power of Forgiveness; Prove Loyal and
Trustworthy; Learn to Tolerate Temporary Tough Times; Use Your Gift to Get You
Through; Maintain a Godly Reputation; and Always Be a Blessing to Others. Then,
You Will Enjoy Favor Even in Unfavorable Times, Just Like Joseph!
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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