Genesis 50:20

I have a bishop friend who would always say to me “Keep a good spirit.” No matter how terrible the circumstance was or no matter how I may try to justify my anger and frustration, almost the first thing he would religiously say is – Keep a good spirit. Even though in me, my carnal self often would militate against the advice, deep down on the inside or maybe not so deep down on the inside, I knew that he was right. It is so easy when we are wronged to want to flare up, fight back, react, lash out and become bitter. However, to do so, is to violate and contravene the very Scriptures that we covenanted ourselves to live by and uphold. May the Almighty always help us to take the higher ground and not to succumb to the path of least resistance.
In our passage of reflection today, our protagonist, Joseph, brilliantly exemplifies this point. In all the vicissitudes of his most eventful life, it is more than evident that he kept a good spirit, in spite of all the indignities and contrived evil which seemed to so viciously come against him repeatedly. For instance, he was conspicuously hated by all of his elder brothers. Those who should have protected, defended and loved him uniformly despised him. In fact, they seemed to hate him with a perfect hatred and conspired to have him killed. It is unimaginable how calculatingly evil the brotherhood could become against one of its own.
The story of Joseph’s life profoundly informs all of us who are on this journey that things can quickly go from bad to worse. It also teaches that it is those who are the closest to us who can sometimes hurt us the most. It shows that brothers can sometimes not be so brotherly. It reveals that our fortunes can precipitously change. It discloses that bad things can happen to good people and that none is exempt from the harsh realities of life. Joseph is not only hated but rejected. His dreams are a cause of much hatred and resentment. He is not only denounced, he is forcibly removed and banished from their presence (at least for a time and season). He is treated with utmost disrespect, thrown out as trash, sold as chattel, flagrantly disowned and completely cut off from friends and family. He is slandered and betrayed. He is repeatedly lied upon and plotted against. No sooner does he get a break then all hell breaks loose again on him. He is disappointed, cast down and falsely arrested and imprisoned (Gen. 39:20). He is forgotten, prosecuted, dehumanized, ostracized. He is victimized, devalued and doubted. Really if anybody had a reason to be disgusted, fed up and bitter, it was Joseph! It seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong for Joseph
Yet, in spite of all the bad breaks and circumstances, it is remarkable how Joseph kept a good spirit and maintained a divine perspective. He saw a God who was sovereign and a God who couldn’t lie. He, therefore, refused to bend or break. He believed in his dreams. He saw a God bigger than all his circumstances. He refused to wallow in self-pity and give in to feelings of despair and discouragement. He refused to be intimidated by the pit, Potiphar’s wife or prison. He somehow knew that things would ultimately work out. His illuminating statement to his patheticbrothers after their father died and they were expecting revenge and retribution from him, helps put it in perspective for us. He tearfully declares “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Gen. 50:20). After a while, Joseph received the brilliant revelation it was no longer what man did or what was happening all around him but what God was doing and allowing to be done. Therefore, he kept a good spirit. My bishop friend is so right – Brethren keep a good spirit!