The Biblical story talks about a young man who had everything, a good name, power, wealth, good health, and education, but his brothers sold him down into slavery in Egypt. He had lost everything except for one thing; he had God’s dream for him locked away in his soul. That dream was his life raft in a steady stream of struggles and pain. Like this young man called Joseph, we should never lose sight of God’s call on our hearts.
No matter who we are-Joseph, Moses, Deborah, Sarah, Paul, Peter, mark, Luke, or John-God has a path, a purpose, for us to follow. Despite broken dreams and abandoned hopes, we must remember that we are a child of God before anything else in our lives. In following the path He gives us, He invites us to call Him, “Father.” Our struggles will not last forever, but He, alone, declares who we are. Although we sometimes think that approval from our family members and friends determines our value, God’s approval is all we need to have an abundant life.
We like to define ourselves by our scars, our challenges, but the only definition we need is the call of God. When we ask small dreams and goals of ourselves, God asks that we follow His higher calling. That higher calling is to steadfastly follow the path He gives us by being His children. Our journey will not be painless, or quick, or even perfect, but it will be a journey well worth the energy, determination, perseverance, love, and grace we give it. Our journeys here on earth are but a speck of time compared to God’s eternity. (Romans 12: 1-2 KJV) “By the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
When failure, despair, and worries consume us, we need to be like Joseph and remember that we are children of God. All He creates is positive, as are our lives when we keep His call deep down in our souls. He will never forsake us, nor leave us in a pit to die like Joseph’s brothers did to him.
Anna Hartt
