Joseph started out as an arrogant child. Jacob doted on him, and dressed him in extravagant clothes. Joseph tattled on his brothers and even proclaimed that a dream showed that they would some day bow down to him. Being right and doing right are two different things.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3
Later Joseph would find himself at the bottom of a pit listening as his brothers, his family, haggling with the traders for his sale into slavery. That had to be an “aha” moment in his life. It was a moment of recognition and comprehension of who he really was. It had to be humiliating and scary.
He would eventually become a slave to Potiphar, lied about by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. That dream he boasted about must have seemed like a distant memory. It wasn’t because Joseph wasn’t a man of God, it was because he was on a journey. Part of that journey required him to learn a few things. Some of these things can be painful if we let them.
Joseph’s life ended as a life of royalty, family love and peace with God. Because he learned humility, he went from the pit to the palace.
Our journey is about spiritually humility. It is about every aspect of our spiritual growth. It has to do with the way we interpret a bible verse, with the way we pray, what spiritual opinions carry the most weight, and how we perceive others spirituality.
“The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.” ― Elisabeth Elliot
“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.”
Jeremiah 8:8
THE WAY WE THINK
One of the things God wants for us, is that we get the greatest amount of joy out of this life as we can, while chasing after Him. God wants us to enjoy our time here on earth as a testimony to others. He wants our joy to be magnetic, attracting others to Christ. How do we do that?
I believe that the essence of being a positive force for God is intent. Is our goal to truly see others find peace and joy, or is it to prove to them we are right. God wins, we know that, but they don’t. They may not even believe that God exists. We don’t convince with words; we convict with actions. We all know it is easier to see the speck in another person’s eye, then the plank in ours.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:3-5
How do we rise above the clatter of life and avoid religiosity in our everyday living? The challenge the Pharisees and Sadducees had was that they thought they knew the answers, when they didn’t understand the questions. We don’t convince people to live a Godly life, we demonstrate how to live a Godly life. We are a living testimony of Christ. We want them to want what we have.
Today’s generation weren’t at Calvary, they do not possess firsthand knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice. They didn’t see the whipping, the crown of thorns, or the nails in His hands. They have not experienced what Christ did for them. But they have us. They can see in us, a mirror image of that sacrifice, if we let them.
THE WAY WE ACT
How do I go about living that life? Do I seek solutions that I would want to see, or do I seek God’s will? Does a lack of spiritual humility make them seem to be the same when they aren’t?
“So do not be like them; for your, Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
Matthew 6:8,
Is it my intent to further God’s kingdom on earth, or is it to further my vision of God’s kingdom? Can I humble myself and accept His will? That might mean that I don’t get what I want, but I will receive what is best. Do I try to tell God what to do, or do I express my desire, curried in accepting His will?
Do I pray that evil loses, or do I pray that evil finds Christ? Jonah had a big problem with his theology, reward the righteous and punish the unrighteous. God’s view is greater than my view. His wisdom is greater than my wisdom. He loves me and wants me to experience unimaginable love. He wants that for my enemies that turn to Him and repent.
“I will praise the LORD who counsels me— even at night my conscience instructs me. I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalm 16:7-8
FINALLY
Don’t be taken captive by your thoughts. We are experts at deceiving ourselves. We get this feel good feeling and think it is the answer. There is only one real source of understanding; it is not us. The actual answer might be better than we can imagine. Always be humble and seek the truth. Do not just seek information that supports our innate confirmation bias. Seek God’s will first and foremost and you will be an inspiration to others. That inspiration is a life filled with joy.
“All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17