One of the most beautiful lessons we can learn about faith, self-improvement and holiness is the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 37 - 50).
The Bible relates that he was a young man who served the Lord, walked in his ways and, even so, had his life marked by great injustices. But, in spite of all the evil they did against him, he decided to please God, not allowing himself to be paralyzed by circumstances or by people. It is a rich history of teachings that we can apply perfectly to the present day. In this article I will discuss five of the many great lessons we can learn from this young man of biblical times. May you also apply those precious truths in your heart and have a life of blessings, for the glory of God!
..
WANT GOD ABOVE ALL: "... and sin against God?" (Genesis 39.9). Joseph was besieged by an influential woman, but, although he was a slave, he did not seek to apologize for resisting her harassment. He feared God and knew that He was - and is - omnipresent; for that reason, he sought to be holy at all times, even in the face of temptation. This shows us that you and I can also have a life of holiness. But for that, it is necessary that our desire to please God be stronger than any other.
..
ESCAPE OF TEMPTATION: "... but he fled and went out" (Genesis 39.12). She held him by his clothes and wanted to get rid of. But he fled towards the door, leaving part of his clothes. Today, it may even seem fun to see a man running away from a woman insisting on sex without commitment, but to disobey the Lord is to have a life of misfortune. Myself, when I was single, I already ran out of some supposed young people of God who literally tried to advance the signal. Whether you are a man or a woman, young or adult, know that this story of living in holiness is for those who want it. Only that! Therefore, we must flee because God knows that we have our weaknesses. A person who has spiritual maturity is one who flees from evil, situations that may compromise their walk with God, and not the one that tries to face them.
..
Be faithful all the time: "... and became responsible for everything that happened there." (Genesis 39.22). Joseph had been thrown into a prison and, even so, he took care of the things of the Lord. When I read for the first time, I confess that I was dazzled by his character. Joseph taught me to be careful to be a man of God himself in the places I do not want to be. May you also seek to be a representative of the Lord Himself somewhere you do not like to be, but that you know is necessary! And that you seek to do your tasks with excellence!
..
WAIT, but the quality: "... at the end of two years ...". (Genesis 41.1) Look how interesting: José literally spent two years of his life inside a prison. And he did not despair with the wait. For him to take care of the things of the Lord, God supported him in all that was necessary for him, although he was still imprisoned. Unfortunately, many young people are desperate to have a good time without leaving. There are even those who get out of the church or get involved with the wrong person. The secret to a quality expectation is to serve the Lord with pleasure. Seek to develop the gifts and talents that God has given you, and you will receive great blessings at the right time.
KNOWING GOD LEADS THE PURPOSES: "
... but God meant it for good ... "(Genesis 50.20) For me, this is one of the best verses in the book of Genesis, which we must put in our hearts, He points to the providence of God, even when unpleasant things happen in our lives by being obedient to Him. God, when apparently He was not doing anything to open the simple doors of a prison, was, in fact, opening the doors of Pharaoh's palace, so that by them Joseph might enter, now as an authority in Egypt fulfilling the promises he had made.
Today we have seen the same divine faithfulness in so many people who were without perspective. I confess to you that, in all my life, the best choice I have made was to keep walking with God, even when everything seemed to be wrong for having been obedient to Him. At the time, I was 29 years old; and I realized the deep depression, I was anguished, not wanting to live or even wanting to go to church anymore. They were situations that hurt my heart just to obey God. When nothing seems to make sense, it seems that God does not exist or that He is very "busy" in heaven in order to give us a specific direction.
Whoever has already gone through this knows: it seems that faith is against faith. At the time, I no longer understood anything about the Lord's plans. But, as we can see in the story of Joseph, God is always leading his children to what is best for each one of them. God, in fact, had not abandoned me; He was only leading me to a life with greater purposes, as happened with Joseph. Today I have my character more like that of Christ. God gave me a blessed wife, and together we seek to serve the Lord with all the intensity.
