Genesis records the account of a boy who suffered because he was guilty of being loved too much. Joseph was: the son of Jacob's favorite wife, pampered by Daddy, and the object of gross jealousy. He was mistreated by his brothers, sold into slavery, jailed for a crime he didn't commit, and forgotten by the people he had helped.
Joseph is a man who had good reason to wonder: "Where is God?" There was little about his life that fit the model of a life blessed by God. Joseph's story is the kind of story that makes you wonder: Is God for real? Is God really in control? Is this how He plans to take care of me?
Many of us, over the past few weeks, have felt like Joseph, seemingly let down by life, perhaps even by God, in the middle of trying to do the right thing. Life can be confusing. And especially now, as we prepare to close HOPE, Joseph's story seems too close to home.
We're not aware that we did anything wrong. We're not aware that we failed to be a church. And yet, HOPE is closing. What happened? We know how we feel. But what should we be thinking as we draw closer to April 27?
From our limited, all-too-human, vantage point, it appears that we have failed. Closing the doors to HOPE Community sounds like failure, smells like failure, and feels like failure. Our slice of daily life doesn't make sense because we live in a world that usually measures church success by a head count.
I would like to suggest that we have not failed because we have faithfully carried out the ministry tasks God has called us to do. The more important questions are: "Was I faithful with my life?" "Was I faithful to love God?" "Was I faithful to serve God?" "Was I faithful to finish well?"
Further, I would suggest that He has chosen to allow us to come to this place. God really is in charge. He could have provided that no one would move away. He did not. He could have protected our income, provided more money. He did not.
God could have made Joseph's brothers like him as much as his father loved him. He did not. God could have allowed Joseph to escape. He did not. God could have made Potiphar's wife a faithful and loving wife. He did not.
Joseph found himself deep in the muddle of daily life, of an unpleasant life. Joseph's response to daily life—the good, the bad and the ugly—is worthy of study. What kept Joseph from giving up? What drove Joseph to make the most of daily life, even the bad times? Did Joseph know something we need to know? How can we learn to rise above our circumstances?
We have not rushed into our decision. We have prayed. And we have chosen to end well, not crash and burn. But it still hurts. What we do next, how we decide to respond, will impact our personal testimony.
We could allow what we see to blind us to what we know about God: God is good. We could allow what is happening to shut down our walk with Christ. Or we could allow God to use these circumstances to enable us to glorify Him with our attitudes, words and deeds.
Joseph saw the big picture. I'm not saying that Joseph never got discouraged. I'm not saying that Joseph never questioned life. I'm sure he had his bad days. But Joseph looked at life through what he knew about God: God is good, God is in control, God is always faithful.
We see this evidenced in how he responded to every setback. He turned slavery into an opportunity for promotion. He turned a woman's advances into an opportunity to flesh out his faithfulness to God. He turned imprisonment into a people-focused ministry.
Joseph mastered . . . making lemonade.
And all of this became crystal clear when Joseph calmed his nervous brothers:
Genesis 50:15 . . . When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" {16} So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: {17} ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. {18} His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. {19} But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? {20} You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. {21} So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph wept because his brothers just didn't get it. Unlike his brothers, Joseph looked at life through the filtered lense of "What is God up to in all of this?" Notice verses 19-21:
But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? {20} You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. {21} So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph's words are calming, reassuring and designed to embrace. In these words are lessons for you and me.
Lesson #1 . . . God is God, and we are not.
Joseph asked of them, "Am I in the place of God?" The brothers feared for their lives because they had sinned. Joseph clearly stated that he was not God, nor their judge. Implied is his pledge to be a good brother to them.
We do well to follow Joseph's example, refusing to play God. We can witness and invite; God saves people. We can pray and plan; but God blesses. And we do ourselves no favors when we rehash the past, second guessing what is now history. We are to be about living today.
I'm not sure we are the ones to question what God has allowed at this time for HOPE. We really do have a rather limited perspective on life.
Lesson #2 . . . God loves lemonade.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
For Joseph, it mattered not that his brothers had intended to harm him. What was important was remembering that God is God. And when life is a question without a good or clear answer, that God is God is more than enough.
Unlike Joseph, we may not see what God intends for good in our story. Or not yet. But we should find comfort in knowing that God is God. There is comfort in Isaiah's words:
Isaiah 46:10 . . . [God said:] "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
God's plans and purposes cannot be thwarted.
I find it humorous that a group of people looking to preserve a memory of what church used to be like for them was used by God to bring this church into existence. I continue to be amazed when I think about the many lives we have touched, that God has changed. And I firmly believe God's glory and honor are reflected in much more than a simple head count.
Lesson #3 . . . Do not fear.
These were Joseph's words to his brothers. But they could have been the words Joseph repeated to himself. Life's not so good; do not fear. The prison is dark and dirty; do not fear. Joseph knew that he was loved. His father loved him. His God loved him.
And we do well to remember that we are loved by the same BIG God. John explained that perfect love casts out fear:
1 John 4:18 . . . There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Living in the light of God's love is more than enough to chase away the doubt and fears that minimize life.
As you can see Joseph's life offers lessons that fit our current circumstances. We do not see everything. We cannot control tomorrow. But we know the One who loves and cares and provides. We know the One who measures by faithfulness. It may look like failure. But I think God is making lemonade.
