What can we learn from the biblical account of Joseph’s life regarding perseverance?
Bill English discusses the true nature of perseverance in the life of a Christian.
Between being sold into slavery by his brothers and getting falsely accused of sexual misconduct by his master‘s wife, Joseph experienced may set-backs in his lifetime. It’s how he responded to those misfortunes that set him apart.
“For 13 years God took Joseph through a long, extended set of trials to work on his character.”
The Bible never directly addresses how Joseph responded to these trials but it does shine some light on the subject.
“The Bible does tell us that God’s presence was with him. If we see the things that Joseph did and what he said we can surmise that he responded in a mature and godly way.”
We know that Joseph did the right thing by depending on the Lord in the way he responded to trials that continued throughout his life. When trials last months or even years, we can be tempted to think that God has abandoned us.
This could not be farther from the truth. Extended trials are God’s invitation to us to lean on him more than we ever have before.
“It’s the perseverance in the trial, the perseverance under the stress, and the pain of the trial that starts to produce the things that Peter talks about like maturity, faith, hope.”
God allows us to experience trials in our lives so that we can grow closer to Him and mature in our faith.
We can’t choose whether or not we will experience trials. However, we can choose if we will endure the trials alone, or with God’s help.
