The Lord caused all that he [Joseph] did to succeed. Genesis 39:3
What did Joseph do? First, he learned a foreign language. Then he learned accounting and management skills. And there were no online courses! He had to learn everything by observation. But Joseph gave himself to this, and God gave him great success.
This tells us something very important. Your work matters. And how you do this work matters. It is clear from the story that Joseph did his work well. He was reliable. He was conscientious. He stayed focused on the job. He was honest. He was loyal. There was a pleasantness about his demeanor. Joseph brought nothing but good to Potiphar and his household.
It would have been easy for Joseph to arrive in Egypt with a chip on his shoulder. Life isn’t fair! Why should I have to do this miserable job? Why did God allow my brothers to get away with the shameful way they treated me? But there isn’t a hint of that in Joseph.
Try and put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. God has spoken to you and you know that He has a great purpose for your life. But here you are laboring in the fields. What in the world does this have to do with the will of God for my life?
Later, you are promoted. You become the chief accountant, the general manager, the CEO. You sit at your desk in your nice office and sometimes you wonder, Why am I doing this? I am doing all this work for Potiphar. What does this have to do with serving the Lord?
It has everything to do with it! This is the work God had given him to do, and he served “with a good will as to the Lord” (Eph. 6:7).
Can you identify with Joseph? How so? Can you identify some ways in which God has granted you favor and success?
