Are you a human BEING or a human DOING? Most of us live our lives without really thinking about what we are doing…there are so many things we must do and so many things we ant to do. We are driven forward by what is waiting to be done. At least, I know I am, to a great extent. I was raised that you were required to get the things done that had to be done before you got to have “playtime.” It is a hard habit to break, that feeling that you must get the work done before you can have downtime. Today I realize that the “work” is never done, therefore I must choose give myself the time to do the things that I love to do. But I have to make that choice. No one else will do it for me. I find it helpful to give myself time away from the demands of living and ponder spiritual matters. I need to spend some time being rather than doing. 

This morning I was listening to a teaching about the life of Joseph, who was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt, with no future and no hope. I find understanding for my own life through the stories of these people of faith whose lives are recorded in the Bible. These things were written down for our instruction, the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16. But in order to get instruction, I have to pay attention! Stop multitasking! I need to stop what I am doing and give my whole attention to these things. I want the understanding of how this applies to my life to go way down into my HEART. What instructions are there for me in the life I am living today?

In the beginning as a young teenager, Joseph had two dreams from God. Even though the whole plan was not made clear to him, the dreams pointed the way to something. The dreams were about his destiny, what the plan of God was for his life. But just like a young man may join the army to go fight a war, he must first go through boot camp. Boot camp hurts. You give up your opinions and your ideas and what you want to do. Boot camp is about submission to another. You learn to discipline your body whether you like it or not, you learn to obey orders whether you like them or not. You do things you don’t want to do.

So Joseph had to go to boot camp. We all do. It is preparation for the ultimate thing(s) we are supposed to do in the earth. God invests a lot of time working with us to get us to that place. We can actually shorten that time by paying attention and by doing what He says, but most of us don’t start out that way. Sometimes it takes a lot of time for God just to get ur attention! In spiritual boot camp, we give up our own desires, our own will, and our opinions. We learn to trust and submit to God’s way of thinking and doing.

After Joseph, the teenager, told  the dreams to his family, he ended up as a slave in Egypt because his brothers hated him. He became a servant to Pharaoh’s top man and served him very well, but a plot was hatched against him and he ended up in prison. That was a step down. This was certainly not the fulfillment of the dreams he had, things went from bad to WORSE… but evidently Joseph made the decision to continue to serve well. He did not give up. Do we give up when things turn south in our lives? I think most of us are at least tempted to give up.

Joseph eventually became the master over the prison he was in because he was excellent. He did not falter in that, or if he did, it was only briefly. Like we all do, he probably had days that he wrestled with his emotions…”God, this isn’t fair…why am I in prison? I’m not guilty…I didn’t do what they accused me of and here I am. It’s just not fair.” But I’m pretty sure Joseph didn’t stay there. And I say that because of how things turned out for him.

While Joseph was still in prison and managing it, two men from the Pharaoh’s court ended up there with him. They had dreams that he was able to interpret. Joseph asked one of the men to remember him when he was restored to his position as the King’s cupbearer, but the man forgot Joseph for two more years. Then Pharaoh had two dream and no one could interpret them. It was then that the cupbearer remembered Joseph.

Joseph was brought before Pharaoh and interpreted his dreams, saying, “And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” Genesis 41:32. Joseph also had a plan as to what to do about the coming famine and told Pharaoh his plan which seemed good to Pharaoh. Joseph was then made the head over Egypt to distribute and manage the country’s resources. Consequently he saved his brothers and their families from the famine. He generously forgave his brothers for selling him as a slave, acknowledging that he saw the plan of God for his life.

Joseph said to his brothers, “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.“(Genesis 45:5). He later declared to them, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Genesis 50:20.

Joseph had discovered what his own teenaged dreams meant. He had discovered the destiny and plan of God for his life. Things did not look good for around 13 years while Joseph was hidden away in “boot camp,” being faithful when things were bad, and learning the lessons God brought to him to prepare him for his God-ordained destiny.

Fellow Christian, does it seem as if you are hidden away, that your life has little to no purpose? Do you have dreams for your future? Or have you let them go because it looks like they will never happen? Are you in a prison of your own negative thoughts? Or are you keeping faith in God’s goodness? You have a choice. Remember Joseph and remember that our God is always good. His desire is to bring you to the full destiny and purpose He has planned for your life. Be patient. Be faithful. “Cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.” Deuteronomy 30:29.