Joseph’s brothers betrayed him because of jealousy and threw him into a pit to die. Then they decided to sell him as a slave.
That wasn’t fair.
As a slave, Joseph obeyed God and trusted Him. He did not become bitter. He refused to be a victim.
As a slave, in the very act of honor, Joseph’s master wrongly accused him, did not give him a chance to explain himself, and threw him into a dungeon.
For two years.
That wasn’t fair.
As a prisoner, Joseph obeyed God and trusted Him. He did not become bitter. He refused to be a victim.
Joseph was released from the dungeon ONLY when his master needed something from him (a dream interpretation) and received no apology.
That wasn’t fair.
As a servant, Joseph obeyed God and trusted Him. He did not become bitter. He refused to be a victim.
We know, because we have the benefit of reading the whole story, that God was working out an incredible purpose through Joseph.
But Joseph didn’t know. He trusted, kept the faith, loved the Lord and submitted to His will when everything in him must have screamed, “IT’S NOT FAIR!”
Compare this to our society of “victims” who is prone to blame and wallow in self-pity, demanding “justice” from the hands of anyone else, even if it has to be stolen. “Victims” who sue a doctor for 2 million dollars because of a prenatal test that failed to inform them their now-four-year-old daughter had Down’s syndrome so they could abort her.
When has life ever been “fair”, and when have we ever had the right to demand that it be so? I am challenged here to raise men and women who are willing to suffer, if the Lord wills it, for righteousness sake, and do it with the honor and integrity Joseph displayed. There is a time and place for justice. But we also have to live with the knowledge that He is “working all things for the good of those who love Him”. Hard as it is, can we “rejoice and be exceedingly glad” when we suffer for His sake?
God’s plan–his redemptive purposes for an entire nation–was only possible because…
As a man, Joseph obeyed God and trusted Him. He did not become bitter. He refused to be a victim.
Can God use me for His purposes?
When life is hard?
When life isn’t fair?
When others mistreat me?
When I can’t see what He’s doing?
He absolutely can and He absolutely will.
13 comments
Once again, a timely word from you. Thank you so much for reminding me that GOD is to be glorified – even if it’s ‘not fair’ to me. Thank you for reminding me that my obedience, trust, and lack of bitterness pleases Him. WHen things are ‘not fair’, He must still be the center of my life…
I remember a comment someone left on this topic the last time this article was posted, by Ginger I believe: “God gave His perfect Son for our wrongs. THAT wasn’t fair.”
Beautiful…”His ways are not our ways”…that is the crux.
Thanks for the excellent post!
Thank you for this post! This is something I have had to learn the hard way! The little things in life I expect, but what happened to us I didn’t!
Until about a year ago I didn’t realize that to “refused to be a victim” meant needing to be proactive. (I know now, that is sad on my part, but true…) Also, I had expected for the enemy to attack from the unsaved…..from the “outside.” I didn’t expect it from within! It came in the form of my “loving,” saved family member. This has been a very hard lesson, but good is coming out of it. God has been gracious and kept our family from bitterness …. and for some “unknown” reason the idea of it’s “not fair” never crossed our minds. 😉
We serve an amazing God!
Thank you so much for sharing your heart with us. Your blog is such an encouragement to me!
We’ve been studying the story of Joseph in Bible. Not only “can” God use me, He does use me. God’s purposes for Joseph were deliberate, taking a spoiled, obnoxious, arrogant youth and making him into a man who He would use to save His people. Everything that happened to him was for a purpose. Always reminds me of that movie “Karate Kid” where the boy was forced to wash the cars, paint the fence, “wax-on, wax-off” and he couldn’t see the purpose, but there was a purpose and it trained him, not only physically, but it trained his ability to trust his teacher and to submit even though he didn’t know why he had to do what he had to do. (sorry for that run-on sentence) I love the story of Joseph because he wasn’t a whiner. Nothing that happened to him was “fair”, but he forgave and he continued to do what was right.
I needed this one today with the intense morning we had with young son…
“Can God use me for His purposes?…When I can’t see what He’s doing?”
“He absolutely can and He absolutely will.”
Thank you for saying it, Kelly. It is true. God’s got all the details and the big picture in place. He can use me to be the mother my boy needs without my knowing how God will work it all out.
He is faithful, and He is trustworthy.
Thank you for sharing this. The thought that hit with me was that he receive no apology and he didn’t let it ruin his life. I am teaching the life of Joseph in school. This thought will make the lessons more meaningful for me. Oh, to handle things as graciously.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially over the past several years of infertility. I think often of Sarai, of Rachel, of Hannah, of Elizabeth… They were barren, and Scripture tells us about their pain. We know, of course, that when the Lord opened their womb, He had GREAT plans for the children born to them… but they didn’t know! And neither do we know how the Lord will use our pain and sufferings for His glory and our betterment.
Can God Use Me For His Purposes??…If I listen to him and let him!!
Thank you for this, Kelly. I was just thinking about how “unfair” it was 15 years ago to my husband of one year that I decided to have an affair and leave him. But, instead of being the “victim” and insisting upon his “rights” to “throw me to the curb”, he decided to love me as Christ loves His bride. He forgave me and welcomed me back with open arms! As a result, God used it for soooo much good. My precious hubby had no idea what would happen, but he trusted that God was in control and nothing was impossible with Him. Soon after that, I became a true Christian finally understanding real love and forgiveness. We have been blessed with 2 wonderful boys that love the Lord. I get to serve at home and homeschool. My hubby and I grow more and more in love everyday because we strive to obey God’s Word about marriage, which seems topsy-turvey to the world, but brings pure joy and peace to those who understand it and live it. I have been blessed with all of this because my husband allowed God to work through the “unfair” things in his life to make a beautiful picture of Christ’s love for the church. I wonder just how many marriages could be saved if the one who has been treated unfairly, no matter how much so, would choose to love as Christ loves and not be so quick to demand justification? I wonder how many people might finally find Christ and have their lives totally changed if the wronged would trust their circumstances to God and let Him decide how to handle them? Just as God saved a whole nation trough Joseph, what could He do through us if we would just let Him? As my Husband would tell you, it’s totally worth it.
What a beautiful story of redemptive love, Summer!
Salut ^^ jolie billet :p