” And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.
And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.“ -Genesis 40:1-4

 

In this Podcast:

• The 4 C’s of Circumstance: First Two C’s
• Blessings aren’t constrained by your circumstances
• Circumstances don’t change your commission

Sometimes doing the right thing has uncomfortable and unfair consequences.

Do right anyway.  Don’t fall for situational ethics, the circumstance that you find yourself in does not determine what is right.  Right is right and wrong is wrong, it’s that simple.

No, it’s not easy to do right all the time and in every circumstance, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s the right thing to do.  We are pulled from every direction possible, internally and externally to not do what is right. Romans 7:14-25 lays out this daily struggle.

Circumstances always change, so why do we always relinquish power to these temporary situations?  We have the promise in Romans 8:28 that we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, and we know from our own experiences that this is true.  So stop getting so wrapped up in your current circumstance, and trust the Lord to make good on his promise as he has already done so many times.

Do not fall for situational ethics, what is right doesn’t change due to who is around or what circumstance that you find yourself in.  We get our ethics from the Word of God. The Bible and the truths found within it do not change.

Blessings aren’t constrained by your circumstances

Genesis 39:21-23

Joseph’s circumstances of being falsely accused of a crime that he did not commit and being thrown in a dungeon, could not constrain the blessings of God on his life.  We see that he found favor in the eyes of the keeper of the prison and that the Lord was with him and prospered him where he was.

Psalms 1:1-3 shows us that if we don’t get scornful and give up on God, but rather meditate on his Word day and night that he will bless us.  We don’t see the blessings that he has placed on our lives as we should; because we are too busy concentrating on all the negative things that surround us. See also Jeremiah 17:7-8.

Circumstances don’t change your commission.

Serve the Lord where you are:

Genesis 40:1-4

Notice that Joseph still had a commission, that commission was to serve others.  We too have a commission to serve others (Colossians 3:22-25).  You don’t get out of your duty because of your circumstance.  The Lord knew what your circumstance would be before he gave you your marching orders.  Joseph “ended” up in the only place in the world where he would have the opportunity to “serve” these two men.  That’s not a coincidence, that is providence.

Don’t wait for a “better time” to serve the Lord, and to fulfill your purpose.  Don’t wait until the storm is over and you are back on dry land before you decide to serve the Lord. Serve him NOW! (2 Corinthians 6:1-10) Serve him in the midst of the storms and circumstances that you find yourself in.  Follow the example of Joseph, He served while he was in the middle of his storm.  In the middle of the worst circumstance that he had yet encountered, he stayed faithful to the Lord and served.

The ministry must be accomplished, regardless of your circumstance.  You can not put the work of the Lord on hold until you feel like getting busy.  The gifts and calling of the Lord are without repentance (Romans 11:29).

Get busy today and don’t allow your current circumstance to keep you from recognizing the blessings in your life or from fulfilling your commission!

Which part of this Podcast Series resonated the most for you? Please share your comments or thoughts