Genesis 39:4-6
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put [b]under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s [c]hand, and he did not know what he had except for the [d]bread which he ate.
What do you do when you find yourself in a job you do not like and you have no say in the matter? Do you give your all or you just do the bear minimum to get along? What kind of attitude would you have at work everyday especially if your employer treated you like a slave? I bet many of us would not have a great attitude at all. We would complain all day long and not do much, but that was not how Joseph handled himself.
Joseph, a 17-year-old finds himself in a foreign country as a slave doing a job he did not sign up for. Imagine having to learn a new language and a new culture and having to learn how to work but he did all that without complaining and he excelled becoming the very best. Reminds me of Daniel and his three Hebrew friends.
It was while he was at Potiphar’s house that Joseph learned how to be a good manger. That means he had a great attitude at work and a good work ethic, he learned how to work with other people who were of a different culture than his allowing himself to grow as an individual. This is a young man who was coming from a culture of shepherds is now thrust into a totally new civilization where what he knew, shepherding, is no longer something viable. Joseph was able to adapt and because of his attitude and diligence in a job that he did not like and neither chose; he rises all the way to the top. Eventually Potiphar puts all his household except his wife under the oversight of Joseph because everything that Joseph did was blessed of God.
Many of us have dreams of better paying jobs or a job with better benefits and better working conditions but the questions is, what is our attitude and work ethic where we are currently? Are we true representatives of the kingdom we represent? Can our employer rely on us as Potiphar relied on Joseph?
Being in Potiphar’s house and the growth that took place in Josephs life in that season was the pathway to where God was eventually leading him because the skills and experience he acquired there, set the foundation for when he finally became second in command in Egypt.
As the word says, all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose and we see that very clearly in the life of Joseph.
Reflective Thoughts
What is your attitude concerning the place where you work and the work that you do?
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Do you see your current station as a place to develop and grow as you move into the next level of what God has for you or do you only see the negatives and thus are consistently complaining?
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Seeing all that Joseph had to do to excel and ultimately be promoted in a job he did not even sign up for, what does that make you feel about your current work and your input?
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