I recently happened upon an Abraham Lincoln quote and even though his leadership quips are posted everywhere, this one in particular made my hyper-paced, undernourished brain stop. The quote attributed to Lincoln is, "I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance with come." This is food for my brain that is connecting to several other patterns of thought in my life right now.
One of those connectors is my study of Joseph. Not Jesus' flesh and bones father but the one that came before, Jacob's son. The reason why the ancient stories of the Scriptures continue to resonate to the masses throughout the generations is that the stories told are our stories. We place ourselves in these stories because they remind us of ourselves; our own doubt, sin, faithlessness, struggle to know God and the hardness of life's circumstances.
Joseph's story is different for me. I don't so much read it (Genesis 37-50) and reflect on how my life is like his. There are parts of his story that are just brutal: hated by his brothers, sold as a slave twice, hunted sexually by the wife of his boss, imprisoned wrongly, plus the pressures of governmental leadership during national crisis. Simply put, I cannot relate to Joseph at all.
Joseph's character was off the charts. Despite all these circumstances he persevered through it all. Joseph did not waiver on remaining faithful. He was committed to the day and what was before him. He seemingly saw every challenge as an opportunity. Because of his faithful persistence, he pleased those all around him and became a highly productive member of Egyptian government. He excelled in service and responsibility. Any task given to him Joseph was sure to take serious and execute very well (Luke 16: 10-12).
The extreme faith of Joseph fueled his attitude. Considering the circumstances and personal trials he managed and overcame, Joseph's focus was to stay the course and honor God even when his life didn't present good reason to. Even at the end of his life Joseph says to his brothers who sold him into slavery, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." And yet Joseph's perspective, it seems, is in the context of a seven year famine and the prevention of massive starvation. Could Joseph have known that the gathering of God's people in Egypt would only leave to more misery and ultimately to a whole nation enslaved (for generations)? He didn't need to know because Joseph was faithful in the moments he stood. God's plan was to gather His people for an eventual exodus and a fulfilled promise of a place to call home. Joseph's part was to gather the food during the harvest and feed the people during the famine. He did that.
On this Christmas Eve-Eve my reflections turn to Mary, Jesus' mother. Her story repeats an important element of Joseph's life. Mary was faithful even when her life suddenly undergoes massive upheaval. The personal price she paid must have been pretty steep. The cultural backlash surely was intense. But think of it, Mary was the one to nurture this baby and to introduce him over and over simply by responding to the question asked her regarding his name. "His name is Jesus", Mary says, undoubtedly hundreds of times.
The story of Joseph is important not because I identify with him as a person, but because he is a man I want to emulate. I want that kind of faith. I want to persevere because I am satisfied in my part of God's plan. I want to manage my life with such confidence in my God that whatever comes my way would just be treated as an opportunity to be faithful.
As Christmas is enjoyed and the new year appears, let's "study and get ready" because our chance is here.
