When Life Feels Like a Train Wreck

His first job away from home wasn’t what he had in mind, it felt like a train wreck. None of his eleven brothers had left home to look for work and neither had he. He was forced out of the family with no time to prepare a resume. He wouldn’t need one where he was going.

It only took a few moments for Joseph’s life to take a turn for the worse. He was like a train flying down the rails toward a ravine with no bridge. His brothers saw him coming to meet them and quickly created a plan to get rid of him. Their scheme led to handing Joseph over to slave traders. His life was never the same. He no longer worked with his father but for a new master.

Can you remember what your first job was like? I know mine was far better than working for a master. I chose the job of a paperboy. Joseph didn’t get a choice. His only options were to choose a good or bad attitude. Would he serve his new master with resentment? Or, would he make the best of a difficult situation?

Resentment comes easy. But Joseph got beyond that and gave his best. He gave his best in service to God and then to his new boss. He must have realized that God had a purpose he was working out. Why?  There is no hint of Joseph complaining or trying to escape back to his family. Somehow he knew that God was not surprised he was serving in the house of an Egyptian official.

No doubt Joseph was caught by surprise. But God is never caught by surprise. “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered…” (Genesis 39:2”). God was with Joseph and He will be with you and me, when life feels like a train wreck.  Joseph didn’t look for ways to undermine his new boss or pray for his brothers to be destroyed.  He acted with courage and gave his best despite the heartbreaking turn of events.

When life feels like a train wreck, Joseph’s story reminds us:

God deserves our best. The work we are called to, whether secular or sacred, is to be done out of a desire to give God the glory. When you and I give our best for His glory, meeting others needs becomes more important. Worrying about who gets the credit no longer captures our attention when our focus is on giving our best for God.

God is not caught by surprise. We will face situations where we’re caught by surprise. In those times, Joseph reminds us to trust God. We choose how we will respond. Will it be with resentment or courage? Trusting God does not mean we won’t be emotionally rocked when we face a surprise that brings pain. God created us with emotions to express how we feel. The challenge comes when we cling to how we feel rather than trusting God. Trusting God in the surprise enables us to respond with courage and that brings Him honor.

God is with us. Joseph went from freedom to slavery. That is a huge change in how he approached life. Even in that difficult situation, God prospered him. He did not rescue him and bring him back home. He prospered Joseph in the midst of the pain. Joseph placed his faith in God inspite of his difficult situation and he trusted that God was working out His plan for his good. You and I will be handed situations to deal with that we would not choose. It is in those times that we must hold onto our faith in God. We can be sure He is working out His plan for our good just like He did for Joseph and He will be with us.

You can read the story of Joseph in Genesis 39.

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Additional Reading you may find helpful:

Where to find Peace in Turbulent Times | by Michael Hyatt

Related posts:

1. Turning the Unexpected into an Advantage