Perspective - Part 2: The Anointing of Joseph and the Grace of Samson (What you need to think and pray about these days)
You are going to fall into one of these two buckets and I need to tell you...either one you fall into requires you to REALLY think of a few things and pray about a couple of things. It doesn't matter what level of faith you're at.
Speaking of critical, it is important for you to start reading this piece having established
ONE MAJOR POINT:
You are fundamentally and inherently more powerful than you have been acting. Now it's time to live in that power a little bit more than you have been living. Ok....let's get into it.
Bucket 1: The anointing of Joseph
(You have a steady source of income now, you have a job, your career is still tugging along in these times.)
Don't you DARE take it for granted.
and don't you DARE for one second believe that YOU don't have an impact on how well that company or source of income does through these times.
Here is what happened with Joseph in the Bible: Watch closely how an anointing went with him everywhere he worked.
Gen 39:1-6a: NIV
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one TAof Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2
The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered
, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that
the Lord gave him success in everything he did
, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
5 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.
6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Then...Joseph...already living as a slave, gets framed by Potiphars wife....and is sent to jail...and here's what happened there:
Gen 39:20-23
20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21
the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Here are the takeaways if you fall into that bucket:
1. God can bless your employer/source of income BECAUSE of you!
Yea...just based on the UNMERITED favor of God on your life...just because of God's interest in your life, God can help your company/employer/income source
So...
HAVE YOU BEEN PRAYING FOR YOUR EMPLOYER/SOURCE OF INCOME?
No...I am not talking about "God please help me keep my job". Why? Because its better (on so many levels) to a be employed by an employer who is happy to have you AND can also afford to keep you, than by one who is keeping you reluctantly because they really couldn't afford it.
Don't you get it?
If they do well, so do you.
Why would you be praying for God to protect your job and not be praying for God to bless that employer?
So pray for your job to be safe...but perhaps for the first time in a while, pray for the success of your employer.
2. Ask God to make YOU a source of solution...to give you wisdom to contribute to the solutions at work ...especially during these times.
Tell me that doesn't make sense! Ask God to make you the Joseph in your organization. So not only is God working to provide wisdom for the powers that be, but actually provide wisdom for YOU to rise through the debris of everything on.
Bucket 2: The grace of Samson
(You don't really have a job or a consistent source of income. You don't really feel like you have the "tools" in your hands to "make it happen")
Many people are in this bucket and it is NOT an easy bucket to exist in...but we are talking about perspective here...let me show you something that might light you on fire a bit. Take a different look at Samson in the Bible...
Judges 14:5-9 AMP
Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother [to arrange the marriage], and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and [
]suddenly, a young lion came roaring toward him. 6
The Spirit of the Lord came upon him
mightily, and he tore the lion apart as one tears apart a young goat,
and he had nothing at all in his hand;
but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
7 So he went down and talked with the woman; and she looked pleasing to Samson. 8 When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. 9 So he scraped the honey out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave them some, and they ate it; but he did not tell them he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.
Here are the takeaways (more like serious prayer points) you should jump on right away if you're in this bucket
Pray for your gift. Your God given talents.
Pray that God will give you the grace to "produce".
Pray that the spirit of God that came upon Samson, that enabled him (with nothing in his hands) to not only slay the lion but also to extract honey out of its carcass, will come upon you so you can slay the "lion" situation that seems to be roaring towards you even..Pray that even though it doesn't look like you're well equipped or have much to work with, God will make it so that not only will you make it through the lion situation, but you will extract honey (joy) out of it when its all said and done.
So...which one do you need right now? The anointing of Joseph or the grace of Samson? I pray for you that God's grace will carry you through this season!
Can't wait to see the new version of you on the on other side of this!
Did you miss Part 1? Here it is: Perspective you need now - Part 1
PS: I did a short videos on each of these topics on Instagram and Facebook. You should take a look.
In fact, if you're not following me, you should!
Dont forget to share this on social media! There is certainly someone in your circle of influence who needs to hear this!