"And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold to Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 45:4-5,8
The story of Joseph is quite powerful in addressing the humbling nature of accepting a position that may not have the status we are accustomed to. As we go through the various recessions, many of us will lose our jobs and our income; forgetting that, we are really only one or two generations away from what is considered today to be the "deep blue-collar" work of a janitor. Yet, keep in mind that no country in the world would be able to run without the honest respectable work of those people who are willing to keep the surrounding areas clean for the rest of us.
While visiting Cancun, Mexico many years ago, I saw the familiar "Golden Arches," of McDonald’s near my hotel. Fascinated that there was actually a McDonald's in Mexico, I had to go in. To my surprise, there were only mature adults working behind the counter, and grayed-haired seniors keeping the restaurant clean. I commended the owner/ manager on the beauty and cleanliness of the restaurant, and told him how surprised I was to see "mature" adults working in the restaurant. Understanding my surprise, he explained that in Mexico, working at McDonald's or as a domestic in any of the area hotels was considered a "very good job, with employees quite proud when they are hired!" Most of his employees were college-educated, spoke fluent English, and were usually at the top of their class. That was more than twenty years ago; and, at the time, it was a complete paradigm shift for me. It left me thoroughly fascinated that a job many Americans considered menial or for teenagers, was considered exceptional in another country.
There are times that God will work with our “status” idol to redevelop our sense of self, simply to reform our belief that, we are our job, income, company, or some other status idol that can disassociate us from simply being a child of God. No job should be beneath us if God has provided it. -Simply because, like the biblical story of Joseph moving from the pit to the palace, you just never know why God placed you there, or where the job might lead you. L.
Study Reference: Genesis 45:4-18
From: "Golden Arches." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
Genesis 45:4-5,8
The story of Joseph is quite powerful in addressing the humbling nature of accepting a position that may not have the status we are accustomed to. As we go through the various recessions, many of us will lose our jobs and our income; forgetting that, we are really only one or two generations away from what is considered today to be the "deep blue-collar" work of a janitor. Yet, keep in mind that no country in the world would be able to run without the honest respectable work of those people who are willing to keep the surrounding areas clean for the rest of us.
While visiting Cancun, Mexico many years ago, I saw the familiar "Golden Arches," of McDonald’s near my hotel. Fascinated that there was actually a McDonald's in Mexico, I had to go in. To my surprise, there were only mature adults working behind the counter, and grayed-haired seniors keeping the restaurant clean. I commended the owner/ manager on the beauty and cleanliness of the restaurant, and told him how surprised I was to see "mature" adults working in the restaurant. Understanding my surprise, he explained that in Mexico, working at McDonald's or as a domestic in any of the area hotels was considered a "very good job, with employees quite proud when they are hired!" Most of his employees were college-educated, spoke fluent English, and were usually at the top of their class. That was more than twenty years ago; and, at the time, it was a complete paradigm shift for me. It left me thoroughly fascinated that a job many Americans considered menial or for teenagers, was considered exceptional in another country.
There are times that God will work with our “status” idol to redevelop our sense of self, simply to reform our belief that, we are our job, income, company, or some other status idol that can disassociate us from simply being a child of God. No job should be beneath us if God has provided it. -Simply because, like the biblical story of Joseph moving from the pit to the palace, you just never know why God placed you there, or where the job might lead you. L.
Study Reference: Genesis 45:4-18
From: "Golden Arches." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
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