In Genesis 37 Joseph has two dreams where he had authority over his older brothers and even father and mother. In Genesis 41 Joseph is placed in charge of all Egypt. The wild road he traveled to reach that reality, was one filled with real life experience.
When Potiphar bought Joseph and put him to work, he quickly realized that everything Joseph had charge of, increased. Joseph was promoted to the highest authority in Potiphar’s estate, just under Potiphar. This position offers real life experience to aid in equipping Joseph to rule all of Egypt. The estate would have had fields with crops. To plant a field you would need seed, the seed would need planted, tended, then harvested. The harvest needs processed, stored, and some maybe sold. There would have been animals that needed to be grazed, bread and babies to be born and cared for. In every aspect of the estate, growth would be demanded. There were duties with Potiphar’s house and food. An operation like that would have a good number of people and systems that Joseph needed to manage, and manage well.
One of the times Potiphar’s wife made an advance at Joseph he replied, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39:8-10
“My master has withheld nothing from me except you,” Joseph had favor. He had freedom in a place that could have just been bondage. This had everything to do with the mentality he held and maintained.
The reality of this training ground was that Joseph was a slave, he wasn’t there by choice. It would have been very easy to adopt and maintain a victim mentality, be depressed and hate life. But God was with Joseph and Joseph made the best out of the situation and got promoted.
It would be easy to look at situations in our own lives and play the victim. Think that they as well as us, are insignificant and not worth our time. But with the responsibility mentality, you take action and bring value. You use every opportunity to become more skillful, experienced, and mature, instead of letting the situations and circumstances crush you. You were created to be able to handle and achieve big things. Develop your mental, emotional, and physical faculties to dominate in everything you do. This will insure that you continue to progress and become, instead of grow stagnate and decompose.
The only way to be better tomorrow, is to take action today.