We began the third week in God’s Prevailing Purpose with reading Genesis 41:9-13. Here we find that the chief butler finally remembering Joseph. Finally. Two years later.
It’s easy to get hard on the butler for this oversight. But I, too, have I forgotten someone who has impacted my life. There have been times when I have forgotten to say thank you, or show appreciation, for an act of kindness extended to me.
“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”
(Philippians 1:3, NLT)
We want to be less like the chief butler and more like Paul and remember those who have been kind or encouraging.
And we want to not only remember them, we want to give thanks for them. We want them to know they have been used by God and blessed our lives.
Who are you remembering this morning?
~*~*~
In Genesis 41:25-36, we find Joseph providing the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream. Interestingly, Joseph not only provides the meaning of the dream but also provides advice on how to move ahead with the events that would soon transpire.
Joseph provided insight along with an action plan.
Here we see the qualities of an administrator, or a leader. A good leader will think through the situation thoroughly before moving forward, giving thought to all who will be impacted.
You may, or may not, be a leader or an administrator per se. Perhaps God is looking to train and raise us up into a leadership position in the future.
“According to Scripture, virtually everything that truly qualifies a person for leadership is directly related to character.” (John MacArthur)
What do you consider the most valuable quality of a good leader?
~*~*~
Genesis 41:46-57 draws us back to focus on the subject of character. Joseph was filled with integrity, humility, and truthfulness even in the most trying of situations. And he was industrious.
Wherever he found himself, he worked to the best of his abilities, doing what was required of him.
“Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.” (Proverbs 22:29, NLT)
We may not have “royalty” in our lives, so this is telling me something more about what our own attitude is to be regarding whatever we do each day.
- We are to think of those we work for, or serve each day, as royalty.
- We are to remember that we work for the one true King.
- There is nothing ordinary about what we do each day. It all has purpose.
~*~*~
Give thanks for those who have impacted our lives.
Develop qualities of a good leader,
and remember there is nothing ordinary in what we do.
Image from Pixabay
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Today I am joining …
“Kingdom work”
I love that phrase, and I think we often sell ourselves and our roles short, not realizing that God is at work even in some of the most mundane tasks.
Great reminder to remember that everything we do each day has a purpose.
It is easy to get upset with the butler for forgetting Joseph. And I imagine he wondered what had happened to the butler. But tis is a great point that God can use someone’s forgetfulness to our advantage.
“Who are you remembering this morning?” Great question, Joanne. During Lent, I have been writing down one thing I am grateful for each day, but now I realize that is not enough. I need to express my gratitude, either to God or to a person, to let them know how much they are appreciated. Thank you for this post!
Yes, I can easily get upset with the butler too. How could he have forgotten when someone’s life was in the balance? But I know I forget things too so I can’t say that I would have handled it any better than he did.
Joanne, I like how you broke down facets of Joseph’s story and made it applicable to us. I think probably the most essential quality of a leader is s/he seeks God’s will and to hear His voice/leading.
It’s interesting . . . I had a conversation recently with a young person. They said they didn’t want leadership (though they wouldn’t mind the power). They wanted to follow. But sometimes God calls us out of following and into leading. We just need to make sure we are following God’s promptings.
Joanne, it is so important that we lift up our leaders (pastors especially) in prayer to the Lord. If they are teaching and preaching the Word, they will be under attack constantly from Satan. We have a popular post on 8 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor (https://www.instaencouragements.com/blog/8-ways-to-encourage-your-pastor) and praying for them is key! Thank you for these reminders!
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
Joseph’s story is one of my favourites so I loved reading about the lessons you drew out from it. I agree, it is easy to give the butler a hard time, but I’m sure there are times when I forget too!