Sharing Responsibility
Scripture Reading — Genesis 39:1-6
Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care …
Genesis 39:6
Some Old Testament characters serve as great examples of what God’s people should not be or do. Their stories begin early in history. The first example is our first parents, Adam and Eve. They lied blatantly, blamed each other, and hid from responsibility (see Genesis 3).
The lives of other characters show what it means to serve and obey God. After a faltering start, Joseph became an example like that.
Dragged to Egypt by slave traders, Joseph joined Potiphar’s household as a slave. There “the Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered.” God’s blessing on Joseph ledtoblessingsforthe wholehousehold.Now,for Joseph, was this just a matter of sitting back and letting it all happen? Hardly! Joseph became a trusted servant who fulfilled his responsibilities admirably. That’s also essential in being part of a family or organization. Everyone helps out in the position in which they’re placed.
Joseph could have lamented his fall from being his father’s favored son to becoming a slave in Egypt, far from home. Certainly God was with him, but he had to work to earn the trust of Potiphar and others.
Can you see God’s blessing on your faithful participation as sons and daughters in a family and as brothers and sisters in a healthy church? Do you shoulder your responsibility—wherever?
Gracious Lord, be with us, whether we’re in a tough spot or enjoying where we are. We need your blessing to be what you want us to be and to do your will faithfully. Amen.
About the author — George Vink
Pastor George Vink has served as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church for more than 30 years in British Columbia, Montana, Michigan, and California. He and his wife, Shirley, have four married sons and nine grandchildren.
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