Living On Mission with Joseph in Potiphar’s House

Living On Mission with Joseph in Potiphar’s House

Joseph didn’t have a choice. He was sold by his brothers into slavery.  He was purchased by Potiphar. He no longer had the option of doing whatever he wanted; he had to do whatever his master told him to do. He was a slave.

The thing about Joseph is that the blessing of God followed him wherever he served. Potiphar noticed that the Lord was with Joseph, so he put Joseph in charge of everything he owned. “From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.” (Genesis 39:5)

Joseph was trusted by Potiphar. He was given a lot of power to make decisions every day about how things would be done in Potiphar’s house. This could easily have led to Joseph feeling entitled to do whatever he wanted, even with Potiphar’s wife as she relentlessly pursued him. When this temptation arose, however, Joseph didn’t forgot that he was a slave.

We are not slaves to anyone. We are free because of the price paid by Jesus. But, what if we choose to become a slave? Is it possible that the ones we choose to serve would be blessed like Potiphar’s household was blessed? Could we give up our rights, our preferences, and our lives—choosing to bring the blessing of God to the households of those we serve? The Apostle Paul chose this way of life.  He said, “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” (1 Corinthians 9:19)

Let’s not have any fantasies about the way our lives might look if we choose this path. It won’t be pretty. We probably won’t be put in charge of a powerful person’s household. Being a slave means not getting our way. It means serving when we’re bone tired. Many times it means being separated from our family. It means giving up what we want and sometimes even what we deserve. It means we’ll likely be tempted to forget we are slaves.

How far are we willing to go to win others? “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)

Let’s practice living on mission and consider making ourselves slaves in order to win others.

Pastor Angela