14 May Is it worth trying again?
Adapted from Part 5 of our Resilience Series – Go Again! by Alex Pitcher. Watch the full message below.
The ups and downs of life can be exhausting, and the highs and lows can really take their toll.
Joseph knew the ups and downs of life very well.
Time and time again he faced problem after problem, and it all started with a dream. In fact, dreams were often at the centre of his struggles and breakthroughs.
When it comes to finding resilience to face life’s pressures, the one thing that we can take from the life of Joseph is that throughout all his ups and downs, he stayed true to who God made him to be.
We could understand it if Joseph decided to stay clear of dreams after his first experience ended up with him being sold into slavery (Genesis 37). And yet when Joseph finds himself in prison, hearing the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer, he doesn’t remain quiet. He doesn’t say, “I’m not doing that again!” (Genesis 40).
Instead, he goes ahead and interprets the dream of the Cupbearer. The Cupbearer is so grateful he promises to make a plea to Pharoah for Joseph’s release. But he forgets and Joseph has to spend another two years in prison.
So far, his dream-interpreting gift has gotten him sold into slavery and left to rot in a prison!
Again, it would have been understandable to say: what is the point? Where did this ever get me?
And yet, Joseph stayed true to who God made him to be and more importantly, he began to recognise the source of his gift.
When he is finally remembered and brought before Pharaoh, he doesn’t say ‘these dreams only get me into trouble’. Instead, he says to Pharaoh:
“I cannot do it. But God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
Genesis 41:16
He stayed true to who God had made him to be and he chose to rely on the only one he knew to be true – his God.
The dictionary says resilience is the ability to withstand and recover from difficulties, or the ability to spring back into shape.
Joseph didn’t let his difficulties turn him away from whom God made him to be – he remained the ‘dreamer’ that his brothers labelled him as. He was tested. He was hurt. He was worn down. He was discouraged. But Joseph recovered from his difficulties, and he sprung back to shape – he remained who God had made him to be, despite all that he went through.
Even though the bible describes Joseph as well-built, his ability to endure the extreme ups and downs of his life were never attributed to his strength.
Resilience is not about strength!
Resilience is the ability to withstand, recover and spring back to shape. Resilience is the ability to rely on God during the difficult times and remain who God made you to be.
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