Stripped: Trusting God When He Allows Others to Hurt Youনমুনা

We don’t know exactly how long Joseph worked at Potiphar’s house, but it makes sense to assume it was a substantial amount of time because earning the confidence of your employer (or owner in his case) is something that normally takes time. Potiphar made him his personal assistant, trusting and relying on him to run his household.

Although he approached the situation with acceptance and God was with him and gave him success in all he did, that didn’t mean it wasn’t difficult!

He had to learn a new language and how to run a household. In his father’s house, they had servants who did those things for them. Now, he cleaned up after others. He was probably the first to rise and the last one to go to bed.

Maybe he put his energy into working hard so that he didn’t have time to worry, get depressed, or cry over what he lost.

Did he wake up every morning wondering if his father would show up in Egypt looking for him? Did his father know he was alive? Had any of the brothers confessed? Was his dad alive? How about Benjamin, his younger brother, did he know? It’s possible he prayed that his brothers would reconsider what they did and come to Egypt to buy him back. After all, they knew that’s where the merchants were headed!

Even though Joseph honored God and lived righteously, he had to adjust to new circumstances and the uncertainty of waiting for an explanation that gave sense to what happened which might never come. At some point, he lost hope that it was just a big mistake and only temporary. Soon, his new normal was permanent. For all he knew, he would be a slave until the day he died.

I call this period of adjustments and waiting for answers after being stripped, the meantime. The first few months quickly become a haze, and with each passing hour, the meantime can effortlessly turn into the mean time. Is God going to come through for me or is He being mean? If there was a purpose with this whole stripping, when do I see it? When do I finally discover what that purpose was? At some point, the storm ends, right? Isn’t that the way it goes in the Bible? Jesus was stripped, flogged, and crucified, but three days later, He came back to life. When will my resurrection happen? Where’s my comeback?

The questions pile up as we wait, oblivious to the plans developing in heaven.

For Joseph, this waiting for the revelation of God’s purposes lasted 13 years! I felt faint just thinking about it. I knew Joseph’s story had a dramatic and extraordinary outcome, but not everyone has a radical, life-changing “aha moment” like his. We hope against hope for our supernatural change and answers that give sense to our why—but will that ever happen?

The meantime is a disheartening period. You walk a borderline between numbness and expectation. Some days, the longing for change gets overshadowed by the hesitant acceptance of your circumstances, rendering you incapable of remembering exactly what it is you are waiting for.

Your life has been radically changed, hurling intimidating challenges your way, while those who hurt you seem to enjoy total freedom and a problem-free life, even though we know that does not exist.

Joseph was a slave in a foreign land, while his brothers were back home relishing the comforts of being rich and having their father all to themselves. They’ll get married, they’ll have kids, they’ll pursue their dreams…while Joseph dejectedly buried his expectations of a prosperous future.

In the meantime, as in the desert, our choices are crucial to the story. God would have found a way to fulfill His purpose for the nation of Israel even if Joseph had gone rogue and turned his back on the Lord, but I firmly believe his destiny was exceptional because he chose to trust and wait on the Lord.

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

When things get worse and it seems like God’s forgotten us and we lose hope, we will respond in one of three ways:

• Distance: Becoming angry, bitter, and rebellious against God
• Neutrality: Not caring, living whatever way seems right
• Closeness: Drawing close to God even when it hurts

THE PATH OF REBELLION

The easiest, and most natural response, is to become angry, bitter, or rebellious against God. Lies and distorted theology command our thoughts and, if we are not careful, they will lead us away from the source of peace and truth that we need.

To be clear, I believe it’s absolutely normal to consider this the best path. It’s easy, after all. If doing what was right brought me to this prison, what’s the point in trying? I’d rather do whatever I want, sin, curse God, live “la vida loca,” and enjoy it while I can.

The problem with this option is that it’s based on lies and the false supposition that living with no moral compass, or our own definitions of right or wrong, will lead to happiness, satisfaction, healing, or success. There may be temporary wealth if you cheat your way to the top, or momentary pleasures in a lifestyle of promiscuity, for example. But when all is said and done, none of the things that create the illusion of wholeness in this world can truly satisfy a soul. The soul finds completion only by seeking the source of peace and love that is Jesus.

God’s ways are unchanging and always true, whether we decide to ignore them or oppose them. If God is good and omniscient, then that means He knows what is best for us and that His commands and guidance are for our benefit. So, as difficult as they may seem at times, living according to His ways will bless us and, ultimately, those we love. Doing the opposite, whether out of rebellion or ignorance, will only increase heartache and chaos as we reap the consequences of those decisions.

The path of rebellion poses as an alluring path, but Proverbs 16:25 NIV says: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

Judah destroyed a family, and years later, because of his choices, destroyed his own family. He took one child from his father, and lost two of his own. The path of rebellion, bitterness, and anger always begets more pain and sorrow. Always.

Even if you don’t understand what you are going through, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5, 6, NIV).

You can count on this! Remember, God can’t lie! If He said it, count on it to happen. Wait on the Lord, hang in there, hold on and let yourself be held. Resist falling for the trap the path of rebellion sets in the aftermath of a stripping. The freedom it offers is a mirage that conceals further pain and brokenness. Tomorrow, we’ll consider the other two options.