Genesis 39-40 Character In The Heat Of The Battle

Joseph had been sold into slavery by his own brothers and taken far from his home.  There he was falsely accused of rape by the woman he’d courageously resisted.  Imprisoned, he interpreted dreams of two of the king’s servants, but the one who was restored to his position with the king forgot to help Joseph.

Anyone else would have moaned and grumbled and cried, “No fair!”  But as my commentary put it, “Under the circumstances, he should have been upset.  But he wasn’t ‘under the circumstances; he was above them.  His time in prison was ‘training time for reigning time.’  Joseph didn’t wait for his circumstances to change.  He glorified God and served others in the circumstances.”

My sidebar, from The Mark Of A Man by Elisabeth Eliot said, “To suffer simply means ‘to bear under’.  A leader is someone who does not groan under burdens, but takes them – and with a dash of humor.  He knows how to keep his mouth shut about his difficulties and how to live a day at a time, doing quietly what needs doing at the moment.”

God knew I needed reminding of this today.  The undone tasks have been piling up for weeks now, and when I have a lot hovering over me and don’t feel like I’m at least moving forward, I experience feelings of being overwhelmed and frustrated.  But I need to be reminded of what a leader does.  I’ve even been watching as God develops leadership character in the young men on our football and basketball teams.  I watch as they bear their burdens and do what it takes when it’s needed and try not to complain.  Too often I forget the difference between what a leader does and what a follower does.  I want to be a leader.

Thanks for the refresher course, Father.  In the heat of the battle, I can lose sight of the goal.  Keep me focused on You no matter what.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford