The biblical account of Joseph is filled with life lessons for those who want to succeed in life. Ironically his life is filled with pain and disappointment before he ever see’s the power of his choices. We romanticize his life because scripture continually tells us that God prospered all that Joseph touched. That may be the truth but not the whole story. Joseph had favor and power but that was all the while he was a slave and a prisoner. This in itself is a powerful lesson. You can be at the top while at the bottom. Behind this truth is the bigger truth that we shouldn’t despise small beginnings. The irony is that it wasn’t Joseph’s beginning. He began at the top. He was the favored son of his father Jacob. He was given gifts the others were not given. What beginning success he seemingly had was stripped from him. This is what separates those who only envy success from those who actually work for it. Joseph’s life shows us why he was favored. He was not favored because of who his mother was but by his character. He pleased his father. Instead of his brothers learning by emulating they envied and wanted to take away from him what they weren’t willing to strive for. This is so prevalent in our world today. With social media dominating our senses we spend countless amounts of time trying to be what we see others being and do what others seem to be doing. We glamorize their lives as they hide behind filters and countless shots before the perfect angle is attained. None of it is real. Those who have legitimate success have it because they worked really hard to get it. Are you satisfied with only pretending to be what you see others being? Taking someone else’s success will not create your own. Stripping Joseph of his coat did not strip him of his father’s favor. Even without his coat Joseph remained favored. His work ethic catapulted him among the ranks even if he was a slave. His character enabled him to run the prison he was a prisoner of. The coat is not what will open doors for you, your character will. The coat was not the favor. It was simply the evidence of the favor. It’s not what you wear but how you wear it.
Jaime Luce
