Do Right Regardless

I love the story of Joseph.

Many people identify with him.  They do what is right, help where they can and are simply a blessing to those around them but things just seem to keep going wrong in their world.

What are they supposed to do?

Be like Joseph and Do right…regardless

The following is from a Bible Study that I held on Twitter.  enJOY and add to it in the comment section below. 

God knows everything and is in control.  We know this and STILL try to navigate our own way.  Do like Joseph, let go and let GOD.

Joseph was the son of Rachel and Jacob.  Rachel had been barren for many years and Joseph was an answer to prayer.

Gen 37 tell us that Israel love Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he was the son of his old age. Can we see the issues that this will cause?

He gave Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors.  Is favoritism worth the bitterness and hatred between siblings that it causes?

Each child has great potential.  Take time to mold that potential. Work on their individual strengths and dreams.  Never ever compare your Children

God spoke to Joseph in dreams.  Joseph told his brothers these dreams.  The bitterness in their hearts cause them to hate him even more

Christian…YOU should rejoice at the success of your brother & sisters in Christ.  Don’t be bitter or jealous.

Rejoice with them. PRAY for great blessings for them.  I faithfully prayed for a friend for over two years for an awesome job.

I’m super excited that he loves a job that he can be and IS wildly successful on.  Be happy for your friends’ success!

Christian, don't be tempted to be resentful when your brother/sisters in Christ are succeeding.  REJOICE!!

He was 17, he had to know that they were not thrilled with his dreams.  His brothers wouldn’t have any part in bowing down to him

Joseph did what was right in his father’s eyes. He did what was right in God’s eyes.  Even though it seemed not to help anything at all

Joseph, doing what his father wished, went to check on his brothers.  They were so filled with hatred that they wanted to kill him.

Reuben, hoping to come back and rescue him later, talks his brothers into throwing Joseph into a pit.

The brothers stripped him of his rob and threw him in the pit.  As if their actions were ordinary, they sat down to eat.

Don't let it be "ordinary" to cause trouble to other believers

While eating they saw slave traders off in the distance, and decided to make some money off of the little dreamer.

Joseph was taken to Egypt.  The brothers took the robe, dipped it in blood and took it to Jacob.  Jacob grieved for his son.

Can you imagine the anger and bitterness in the hearts of Joseph’s brothers to WATCH their father grieve and NOT tell him Joseph was ok?

Joseph was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Joseph does right and is the captain. Even though Joseph was ripped from his family, God is blessing his faithfulness

When we are doing right, serving the Lord faithfully and things go wrong, we tend to blame God, whine at God and wonder where HE is.

God, the creator of the universe can use the trials, sin and anything else HE chooses to bring blessings.

Do you get all kinds of whiny with God when you are doing right & everything is going wrong?

Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph.  Joseph says – how can I sin against God? Joseph ran from sin!

How often do we run to sin?  Be like Joseph and run from it. Stay far away and avoid it.

Can you imagine Joseph’s heart at this point?  He is a young faithful man, doing right regardless and yet things still are going wrong.

Chapter 39 says that God blessed Joseph in jail. The blessings we “want” may not be the blessings we get.  Recognize them anyway.

You may desire blessings of a huge 5,000 sq ft home, new teal blue corvette & others material things, but God knows better

He gives you blessings of a faithful spouse, Children that choose to serve the Lord because they want to and a desire to make a difference for Christ.

Be so close to the Lord that when you are blessed in the midst of the trials & problems that you easily SEE your blessings.

The Butler and the Baker are in Jail and need someone to interpret their dreams.

Joseph reminds them that God interprets dreams.  Joseph, while in jail, is STILL giving GOD the glory!

Still giving all credit to God.

Be very very careful to give God the credit for your blessings. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above

Even though the Butler forgot about Joseph for 2 years, Joseph continued to do right and Gave God the glory.

Pharaoh has a dream and the forgetful butler Finally remembered Joseph. (in God’s Time)  Again, Joseph does what?

He says that God will give the answer to Pharaoh’s dream.  He doesn’t take any credit at all.  None.

God allowed Joseph In Gen. chapter 41 to tell him that the famine is going to take place and because of the double dream it would happen shortly

Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of all that he had.  Other than the throne, no one was higher.  God blessed Joseph.

God can work past our sin, our doubts, our fears and our short comings.  God will accomplish HIS desires, in spite of us

Joseph, during all of this time did absolutely NOTHING wrong.  He didn’t deserve to be sold into slavery

Joseph didn’t deserve to be thrown in jail, he didn’t deserve to be forgotten about.  But even through all of that Joseph was faithful

Joseph simply chose to do right….regardless.  He trusted God to work everything out.  It couldn’t have been easy.

There was probably more tears than we know.  A 17 yr old boy would have been homesick to see his father.

There was probably more fear than we know.  Even though young guys are “manly men” they are fearful too.

Regardless of the tears or fears, Joseph chose to do what was right in God’s eyes regardless of the circumstances around him.

His brothers come to Egypt to get food.  They had money but need food.  When they got to Egypt and saw the 2^nd in command, what did they do?

Indeed, they bowed to him.  Just as his dreams of long ago had foretold.

Joseph put the 10 brothers through some testing. Teaching them a lesson, accusing them of being spies and such.

In Gen chapter 45 He can’t contain his emotions any longer.  He weeps so loudly that everyone hears him.

He tells them, I am Joseph.  Notice his first question. IS MY FATHER still alive?  The brothers couldn’t answer him.

His faithfulness was rewarded in that his family was saved from famine & he was allowed to see his dad again

Can you imagine their shock?  Then their fear?  I wonder what was racing through their hearts.

Joseph tells them that even though they sold him, Gen 45:7 “And God sent me before you to preserve you”

God is faithful to keep his promise.  Regardless of what we do or don’t do.  God will bring all things together for good.

In the midst of the injustice, pain and sin, God is able to keep his promises.

Joseph stayed faithful to the Lord even though things didn’t seem fair.  Even though things were not going as he had dreamed.

Joseph did everything to the best of his ability, regardless of the position he was put in.   Joseph did right, regardless.

Bringing this home to us, what can we apply to our own lives?

Are you willing to trust God and do right regardless?

Will you look for and can you find the blessings among the trials and hardships?

Will you allow everyone around you to see God in you, even when everyone is doing their best to stop you in your tracks?

Make the choice today to do right….regardless!

Are you willing to do right, regardless of the situations you are in.  Are you willing to choose, like Joseph to do right while waiting?

What are your thoughts on this? Have you had times where you’ve had to choose to do right…regardless?

Encourage someone by leaving a comment below.