December 22

Day 283: What Comes Later

Joseph's experience (Genesis 41), in some ways mirrors our own. Where former experiences inform what comes later.

Joseph was sold into Egyptian slavery, by his brothers who resented him. At the slave market he was purchased by a court official named Potiphar. As we recall, it all went really well for Joseph. He had risen to become the house manager. But then it went bad.

2+ years later, Joseph is still in prison. Even as a prisoner, he becomes the manager of the prison. And he interprets dreams. Pharaoh hears of this and wants some interpreting done himself. Joseph is called away from his managerial duties to interpret Pharaoh's two dreams.

And so he does. Joseph does a superlative job of communicating God's intentions to Pharaoh. He tells Pharaoh to prepare for famine to last seven years. Self-promoting or not, Joseph advises Pharaoh to storehouse food, and to designate a manager of the famine relief effort.

Joseph, surprised or not, gets the nod. He is again a manager. But this time on a world stage. His resume had 'manager' written all over it. Could it be God had given Joseph prior experiences that would equip him for this new gig?

I think so. I do believe former experiences inform what follows. I'll even add this: sometimes it's the most difficult experiences that end up doing the most informing.

My wife's employment role with the University of Alaska is really the melding of two former roles. She was a high school career counselor. And she was later an employee of the Washington state employment securities division.

My own story is not dissimilar. I was a student ministries pastor for 12+ years. I was also a regional manager for a multi-national advertising conglomerate. And I coached high school track for 5 schools over some 22 years. So what do I do now? I'm a church-planter, a pastor.

It may be my age, or it may be the season. I find myself reflecting on how God has led me through life. How He has led me through roles and experiences that help me every day.

I think of parents who intentionally parent their children well, because they themselves were not parented well at all. I think of people who maintain healthy lifestyles, because at one time they were not healthy at all.

I think of the many church-planters I know who were formerly student ministry leaders. (I think it's actually a wonderful training ground for that.) And I think of the people who are good disciple-makers, because they themselves were discipled well by someone else.

My point is this. We cannot discount anything we have experienced or endured in the past. And we certainly must not discount anything we are presently experiencing or enduring in our present. Even in, especially in this Covid-infused 2020 year.

Because, and if we truly believe in the sovereignty of God, we can believe that nothing happens outside of His purposes for us. It may just be He is preparing us for something later, one that will have a natural tie to the former.

Like Joseph. Who God had in His care the entire time. Who learned how former experiences inform what comes later.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau