Frontline thoughts...

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…” (Colossians 3:23)

In Men’s Group last night we read the above verse. And it got me thinking about Joseph (not ‘Mary & Joseph’ Joseph, but colourful robe Joseph). And as I was reflecting on him I realised that not only is he a great example of Colossians 3:23 in action, but that he also speaks to us wherever and whatever our Frontlines might be…

Genesis 39…Joseph was a servant in Potiphar’s household….a foreign slave in a powerful Egyptian official’s household. But in that situation, Joseph stood out. Genesis 39:2 simply records that “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered…” – but I’m not sure that paints the whole picture. Yes, God blessed Joseph. Yes, God’s favour was with Joseph. But I get the distinct impression that Joseph stood out because he was a man of integrity…a person of upright character…a person who kept his word and performed his duties well. Joseph earned the trust and respect of his boss (Potiphar). So much so, that Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his entire household (that’s some promotion!). In fact, we read that Potiphar did not concern himself with anything – that’s how much Potiphar trusted Joseph.

And interestingly, when Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce Joseph, the reason Joseph gave for saying no was: “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house.” (39:8). In short, Joseph knew he was trusted, and he didn’t want to break that trust. That’s integrity!

The next little detail we discover about Joseph comes at the end of Genesis 39. Joseph is now in prison, and we again read that “The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warder” (39:21). But again, whilst not downplaying God’s favour, my sense is that something about Joseph caught the prison warder’s attention. Maybe it was his character? His compliance to instructions? Maybe he had a certain gentleness and kindness about him? Maybe it was the way the warder observed Joseph talking to the other prisoners? God’s grace enabled Joseph to live a distinctively different life, even whilst being in a situation he didn’t want to be in.

Finally, we see Joseph appointed to the highest position in the land…kind of like being Prime Minister. You can read how it came about in Genesis 41. It clearly involves God….enabling Joseph to interpret dreams…something about God’s timing…God bringing about the right situation…the right people in the right place at the right time and all that….but the thing that struck me was that Joseph is willing to live out of his sense of who God has made him and gifted him and called him to be. In that situation…still being in a foreign land, far from his home and family….still processing the emotional wrench of being sold by his brothers…dealing with the injustice of being thrown into prison….Joseph humbly serves those around him to the best of his God-given abilities…at no time seeking praise and adulation…but in fact, just the opposite….acknowledging God as the source of his help (41:16).

What’s my point?

Just like us, Joseph had a frontline. A frontline with challenges and pressures, with difficult people and testing situations…not all that dissimilar to the frontlines we are on. And on that frontline, three things stand out:

One: Competency – Yes, Joseph was gifted a certain way…he had a degree of competency. And he used it. We get the distinct impression that Joseph applied himself to his position; he performed his duties well; he took a healthy pride in doing his job well. You don’t get elevated to the position of Prime Minister if you don’t have gifts and use them well!

Two: Character - Joseph lived a godly, upright life. He strived to do what was right in God’s eyes…he had a good sense of what was right and what was wrong. He was honest; a man of his word; trust-worthy; dependable. His character only served to enhance his competency.

And,

Three: Consistency: Joseph worked well, worked hard, and displayed good character…..consistently. He was like this all the time. With Joseph, his employers knew what they were getting.

I wonder, as we live on our frontlines, as we consider how we follow Jesus right where he has placed us, whether Joseph has lessons for us.

Whether you are a stay-at-home parent, a manager, a banker, a teacher, a health-care professional, work in child-care…music…design…engineering…..law….or something else entirely….whatever your frontline is….

…seek to display your competency, seek to display godly character, and seek to be consistent.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…”