Dynamics of Family Background & Captivity
So, that's the backdrop of the story and then there's the rest. To be fair, Joseph was a snitch and a brash little brat with the (mis)fortune of being his father's most beloved son. Given his propensity to distinguish himself and rise above the ranks, we can infer that he was quite clever and intelligent. Furthermore, having a father who was no slouch himself when it came to business management acumen, Joseph probably absorbed much knowledge and skill by spending more time in the company of his father vs being in the fields with his rough-neck brothers. (Remember, these are the same brothers who not only put to the sword the prince who raped their sister, but the entire male community after they complied in good faith agreement to circumcision. Genesis 34:1-31)
Yet, Joseph gained his favor in Egypt the old fashion way: he earned it. He was not someone born on third base believing that he hit triples. He was a slave void of entitlement to any rights or privileges in a Mesopotamian world era where socioeconomic advancement was primarily based upon nepotism, tribalism or violent usurpation of power. Meritocracy and democracy were almost inconceivable during this period, which all the more underscores his remarkable abilities and the impression he must have made on his masters. Therefore, being unjustly stripped of freedom, status, or other privileges must have surely been a bitter pill to swallow and the solitude of slavery or imprisonment afforded him plenty of time to mentally process or anguish over all of this.
Joseph's Reaction Begets Redemption
Adversities, unfairness and miscarriages of justice happen. At some point along the journey, life happens out of nowhere and bitch-slaps us unexpectedly, whether due to our choices or other external factors. It can sting for a moment or even leave scars and permanent injuries. What matters is how we choose to respond and examination of Joseph provides a good role model. Things he could not control, he didn't bother. Instead, he focused on being the best version of himself under his existing circumstances. He knew that he was deserving of a higher position, but while he was where he was in his life, he continually strove to excel. Proverbs 22:29: teaches "Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men". Despite being forgotten by the chief butler whose dream Joseph interpreted in prison, God did not forsake him as witnessed by the opportunity to interpret Pharaoh's dream and consequentially be rewarded as ruler over all the land in Egypt, subordinate only to Pharaoh (Genesis 40-41). Not bad.
My Dissimilar Reaction to Similar Circumstances
I personally have suffered similar false accusations. Unlike Joseph, I was fortunate enough to be exonerated by the judicial system and my accuser was exposed for lying under oath. However, the whole ordeal was a black cloud hanging over my head for than 7 months and it would take at least 6 more months after the trial before the PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) began to dissipate. If found guilty, imprisonment would have been my fate. Thank God that I was spared this injustice. However, as most know, it can take years to build a reputation and only an instant to destroy it. Despite clearance from the charges, I have been ostracized by some members of my former community and life has never really been the same since. (I wish I could share the specifics of my individual tribulation, but in the interest of protecting the innocent and confidentiality, I am prevented from doing so at present while consideration of counter-charges are being legally weighed.)
Again, I'm keeping it 100% real here, folks. Unlike Joseph, I freaked out emotionally with fear and anger. To have one's life and career disrupted by malicious and vindictive intentions, not to mention straining under the burden of legal defense fees was a real eye opener on my level of faith. It was during this trial that I discovered the weakness of my faith in the Lord. Some family and friends, especially those of Christian persuasion, made me feel even worse by criticizing my lack of faith. (Then again, I suppose any Jews complaining of being sent to the gas ovens by Hitler were also guilty of little or no faith. I think you get my point, which is that such family and friends are useless allies in times of crisis.) As they were not on the receiving end or had ever experienced such, this was quite easy for them to do. Truth be told, their good intentions and judgmental posture, in lieu of my innocence, angered me almost as much as my accuser did.
The Consequences of My Reaction
Most of all, I felt betrayed that a God of Righteousness would allow such a thing to happen to a "faithful" servant? Prior to this, I had temporarily shut down my self-employed business operations and sacrificed the last 6 out of 12 months care-giving to a sick and dying parent. I was hardly in any type of emotional or financial condition to deal with this drama. Furthermore, I felt that I deserved better. I was extremely angry with God and also very hurt.
As a result, my health declined as both blood pressure and body weight started to go up. I was depressed and fearful of going to jail for a crime that I did not commit. Meanwhile, my finances were quickly dwindling. Due to the analytical and creative nature of my work, concentrating and producing high quality results under deadlines became increasingly difficult. As a result, this area of my life also suffered as I lost a key source of income. The prospect of jail at age 54 instead of looking forward to the golden years ahead became an unbearable cross and fatal thoughts of suicide constantly flipped back and forth from Plan A to Plan B. It was a downward spiral in a tunnel of darkness.
Surrender and Gratitude Lead to Redemption and Healing
So, here I am today and obviously a free man. What changed? I wish I could describe some awe inspiring spiritual epiphany, but I cannot. As I approached the end of my rope, I simply said "screw it all", stopped caring about "why this was happening to me" and instead concerned myself with only the things I could control in my life, which was not much. By default, I accepted that I had no power to influence the mind of a crazy deluded person who insisted on persecuting me and surrendered this trouble to the Lord. At this point, I was a completely broken man in spirit and reckoned that if He allowed this insurmountable problem to enter my life, then it was His responsibility to fix it and prove my innocence beyond reproach and He did. Of course, I did my part as a faithful servant to help in any way I could, which mainly involved cooperating with the legal authorities and providing timely and accurate information and due diligence to my attorney when requested. The main thing I want to emphasize is that I stopped worrying as I realized it did nothing to improve my situation and was harming my health (John 14:1 and Matthew 6:34).
Because I prioritize health and happiness, I realized it was in my best interest to take personal inventory of anything and everything that was good in my life and be thankful for it (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Fortunately, I'm a pretty simple man and not attached to materialism. There once was a time when I was, but the Lord in His wisdom allowed me to lose almost all of my material possessions in a fire 14 years ago and the lesson of what's truly deserving of value has been embedded ever since. Currently, as I travel the road to healing and redemption, I have learned to be much more grateful for my life and all that I have been given. The experience of defending myself against false accusations was horrible, but it ultimately strengthened and deepened my relationship with God and for this I am most grateful.
From Redemption and Healing to Transformation
Lastly, this episode of my spiritual journey has a positive twist . Since then, I have undergone a transformation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Physically, I find myself 30 pounds lighter and in the best shape of my life, looking and feeling at least 15 years younger. Professionally, I have diverged on a different path as my business partner and I have developed a software application and brought it out of beta where it is now being considered by several financial institutions. As I look back in hindsight, neither of these positive changes could have happened in the time-frame under which they occurred because I was fixated on a different trajectory in my life.
Conclusion
Sometimes the Lord redirects us to unfamiliar territory (like he did with Abraham) because he wants to bless us. Regardless of how obedient or faithful we may perceive ourselves, the reality is that some of these places can be pretty scary (for example see Genesis 22:1-2) and we are often not inclined to venture there voluntarily. God used this trial to expose a vulnerability in my shield of faith and lead me to a higher spiritual level. It took me a while to respond like Joseph, but once I decided to "let go and let God" enable me to apply myself as best I could with the resources available (gratitude will do that), then my life started to change. Real faith is a constant struggle that is continually tested on the battlefield of our minds, but hearts filled with hope will always find the courage to believe in what cannot be seen. Amen...
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