Be The Change

4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life." (Genesis 45:4-5)

Joseph's brothers had plotted to kill him, deciding at the last moment to instead sell him to the Ishmaelites, who then sold him to the Egyptians. Joseph's rise from captive to commander was beyond difficult (see Genesis 37-50 for the whole story). In the end Joseph chose to see everything that happened to him as necessary to get him to the place where God could use him to preserve life. He had the ability to interpret dreams and the administrative skills that enabled Egypt to use it's vast resources to be a blessing to a multitude of people during a seven-year famine.

We all have gifts that God wants to use for the building up of His kingdom here and now. Rather than complain about all the things that are not as they should be, we can choose use all we have and all we are to make the world better. In gratitude for God's atonement for our sins, and God's continued grace and mercy, we can set aside differences of opinion and personality, we can speak truthfully about past hurts - as Joseph did - while moving forward to our greater purpose, and choose paths of reconciliation over bitterness and selfishness.

We can be the change we want to see.

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:32-36)