Learning From Joseph (2) – Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude

Reading the life of Joseph the son of Jacob I was challenged by two things. This is the second of them I have wanted to share with you – our attitude in the face of difficult situations that may threaten to swamp our emotions can determine our future. Attitude determines how high and far we can travel in our God-given destiny (altitude).

Joseph had choices to make which determined the destiny God had planned for him. He was hated by his jealous brothers (the jealous bit was not too surprising since their father, Jacob, was constantly pushing his favouritism in their faces!). But throwing him into a pit and then selling him into slavery was way over the top. That could easily have made Joseph bitter and angry and rebellious; but it didn’t.

He was sold to Potiphar, Captain of the Guard, and his positive attitude and continued faith in God elevated him to being in charge of Potiphar’s whole household which greatly prospered because God blessed all he did. All seemed fine except for the constant unwelcome sexual advances of Potiphar’s wife. If Joseph was tempted to give in, he certainly didn’t show it and declared it was not right to betray his master or his God. This didn’t go down well with Potiphar’s wife, who eventually got fed up with being rejected and decided serious payback was in order. She claimed Joseph raped her and Potiphar sent him to prison without trial.

Even in prison Joseph didn’t give in to bitterness and frustration, and conducted himself so well that he was appointed to run the whole prison – a prisoner in charge of the prison! If you might doubt his true faithfulness to God in spite of all that seems to have gone so wrong and so unfairly, the test is when Pharaoh`s chief cupbearer (Butler) and the chief baker are imprisoned. Joseph sees how upset they are one morning and comes alongside them to help. The problem is that both have confusing and troubling dreams. They share them with Jospeh, and he interprets them and gives the honour to the same God who doesn’t seem to have prevented the past problems I’ve mentioned.

The interpretations come true, but despite Joseph asking to be remembered when the chief cupbearer is released, he is just forgotten for probably another two years. However, Joseph’s attitude doesn’t change. He holds on to his faith in God. His behaviour is above reproach, and he doesn’t seem to sulk or complain. You know the next part of the story - he is remembered when the King has troublesome dreams. He is called from prison and interprets Pharaoh’s dream with 100% accuracy and is elevated to the number two person in Egypt.

The key to his rise to this exalted position was that he didn’t allow his attitude to plunge into despair, anger, frustration, or rejection of God. What have you been or are going through right now? How is it affecting your attitude. Are you going to let the weight of your situation make you unable to move forward with God or is your positive attitude, driven by your faith in God, causing you to rise and trust the God who never fails? In and through every circumstance God is encouraging us to get back on our feet and take the next step forward with Him. We can either have an attitude of bitterness, anger, or frustration that can crush us, or an attitude of gratitude that comes from our trust in God that will lift us up and push us forward. The choice is always ours to make.