New Year's 2012

I started this blog in January of 2011 as a New Year's resolution.  Surprise, surprise--I did not keep up with it much after March.  But I will not be defeated in the ongoing battle with New Years!  The evil spirit of New Year's resolutions may have won the battle of 2011, but I will win the battle of 2012.

This year I am committed to reading through the Bible.  I will use "The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Journal" and each day I will journal my thoughts on the particular passage.  I will post those thoughts here.

I would love it if you would join me on this journey.

New Year's Resolution 2012 . . . let the battle begin . . . (I also am resolving to exercise more in 2012, but I plan on failing in that one.)

God's Response

Genesis 3 . . . 

We left off with Adam and Eve cowering in the bushes--fig leaves crudely patched together to cover their new-found nakedness and accompanying shame.   It is the cool of the day, and they are hiding from God.  They expect to hear him coming at any moment.

Meanwhile, the all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful creator and sustainer of the universe has been watching the whole episode.  His head sunk into his hands as he watched each of them bite into the fruit.  His heart broke as he watched them pick the fig leaves and find their hiding spot. . . . 

At this point in time God has options.  He can justifiably wipe them out (He promised them death in Genesis 2:17, " . . . when you eat from it you will certainly die.").  He can swoop down into the garden on a white horse with thousands of angels and put the fear of God in these two rebels' hearts.  In his disgust he could send an angel down to deal with them and not even waste his time.  God always has options.  So what does he decide to do . . . 

He chooses mercy.  He comes down in the cool of the day searching out those who broke his heart.  He walks through the garden calling out for Adam and Eve.  He calls out to them not with the voice of a policeman, but with the voice of yearning love.  In one of our first images of God interacting with his creation we see a merciful God seeking out lost sinners.  The beginning of redemptive history is played out here as God reveals himself in mercy coming to seek and save that which is lost.  He is heartbroken, but not vengeful.  He is offended, but not repulsed.  And as we will soon see, he is loving, but not indulgent.

This is one of my favorite moments in all the stories of the Bible.  What a beautiful picture of God's initial response to humanities sin.  So often we become aware of our sin, and we cower in the shadows trying to hide from an angry God who we assume is coming to slap us on the hand.  When in fact he is seeking us out--calling out our name.  He wants more than anything for our relationship to be restored.

But how will he restore the damaged relationship?  That is next week's blog . . . 

Fig Leaves

Time to get back on the horse--it has been a few months, but here we go again. . . .


Last weekend I preached a message on Genesis chapter 3, and discussed the glimmers of the gospel that we can see in Adam and Eve's fall from Eden.  I plan to highlight certain aspects of the fall in the coming blog posts.  This week--the fig leaves.


Genesis 3:6-7
 ⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.


Adam and Eve eat the fruit that God told them not to eat. And in that act they commit the first sin--the fall--the first rebellion--the first selfishness--the first act of putting one's will above the will of God.  Then, for the first time, Adam and Eve experience guilt and shame as they realize they are naked.  Their innocence is lost, and they feel the need to hide the shame of their nakedness.  They feel the need to try and cover up their guilt.  So, what do they do?  They try and fix the problem of their sin themselves, and they use fig leaves to do it.  I imagine they are reeling from the experience.  I imagine they are confused by what they are feeling, and they are trying to do anything they can to try and ease their conscience--anything that will hide their shame--anything that will cover over their guilt.  And it just so happened that they turned to fig leaves.


Our lives today are no different.  Every day we put our will above God's will, and every day that guilt and shame just builds with each instance of our self-centerdness.  We call the shame and guilt by different names, and many of us don't even have a name for it.  It is a hollow feeling deep down that we don't ever talk about.  We know there is something missing, there is something off, something intangible yet very real disconnected in our soul.  So the question is what do we do about it?  Often times many of us do just what Adam and Eve did--we try and fix the problem ourselves.  We don't use fig leaves to hide our shame.  Instead we turn to our careers--and we become determined to drowned out the shame with success in the marketplace.  Or we turn to our families--and we become focused on burying the guilt by raising a picture perfect family full of good, over-achieving children.  Or we turn to entertainment--and we hide from the shame in our t.v. shows, trips to the lake, and fast cars.  Whatever the case: fig leaves or speed boats, we all try and solve the problem of our sin ourselves.  And as foolish as I imagine Adam looked cowering behind a tree with fig leaves crudely secured around his waist as God walks by--I imagine I look just as foolish cowering behind my self-righteousness with morality and success ineptly fastened around my waist as God walks by.


Nest post, God's response . . .

suffering

"For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." II Corinthians 1:5


My last post dealt with the seeming contradiction in the teachings of Jesus--that life with him is easy yet difficult.  II Cor 1:5 helped me make sense of the seeming contradiction.  It is both--as we suffer the costs of following Jesus, he comforts and carries our burdens.


But I still have one growing concern.  As I look at my pleasant, middle-class life with all its comforts and safety I struggle to relate to "sharing abundantly in Christ's suffering."  I feel God's blessings and comfort all too well.  I was raised in a loving home. I have been blessed with the best wife imaginable.  I have been given a beautiful daughter.  I have supportive friends.  God is meeting my needs.  I feel his comfort all too well.


God give me the boldness to live a life for you that is costly.  A life of sacrifice--a life of self-denial--a life that shares abundantly in your sufferings.

Yankee Doodle Dixie

Matthew 11:28-30
 ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Apparently, Jesus gives us comfort and rest.  Following Him is easy.  He is gentle and has a humble heart.
Words that stand out to me:  rest, gentle, humble, easy, light
General tone: inviting

Luke 14:26-27
²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Apparently, Jesus gives us a cross to carry.  Following Him is costly.  He is demanding and has high standards.
Words that stand out to me:  hate, carry, cross, does not - cannot
General tone: sobering

So, what are we to make of Jesus' message?  Which is it?  Is following Jesus easy and full of comfort and rest?  Or is following Jesus costly and difficult?  Do we feel the weight of the cross or don't we?

Unlike other blog posts, I am not going to try and answer these questions today . . . but I think the answer lies in music . . . is it possible for 2 different songs to be harmonized together?  Click here to find out

Lazarus

I had the honor of attending a memorial service the other day for a local boy--19 years old--that died in a tragic motorcycle accident.  The turnout was tremendous, hundreds squeezed into the church and overflowed out into the foyer.  It was a stunning testament to the love and friendship that marked this man's life.  

One of the scripture passages that was read in the service was John 11, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead--this story has brought hope and comfort to many as it has been told and re-told for thousands of years.  

When I think about this story I like to think of it from Lazarus' perspective.  

What must it have been like to be Lazarus--lying there sick, looking up into the eyes of his loving sisters as they weep by his bedside.  He feels the pain and knows that death is near.  He knows the prognosis and knows that his only hope lies in the one, Jesus.  Lazarus knows word has been sent to Jesus, and he clings to that hope--his only hope in being saved from the despair of approaching death . . . and Lazarus dies with that hope in his heart . . . 

What must it have been like to be Lazarus--lying there dead.  His eyes shoot open to the back of a burial shroud.  He struggles to his feet and stumbles out the entrance of his tomb.  His eyes, blinded by the sun make out Mary on her knees weeping; Martha comes rushing toward him, and finally his eyes lock with the confident, caring eyes of Jesus--flush with tears.  I imagine the days and weeks unfold, and Lazarus soaks up every day as a gift from God and cherishes everyone.

I don't think Lazarus' experience is too removed from our own.  Have you ever felt the world bearing down on you?  You know you need help--you ask for help--but no help comes . . . You feel abandoned even by Jesus . . . Have you ever turned to God for help and it feels like nothing changes?  So, you assume God doesn't understand or simply doesn't care.  But Jesus cared for Lazarus.  Jesus wept with Mary and Martha at Lazarus' grave.  We may never understand why God works the way he does, but we can see from this story that even in the worst of situations we can take comfort that God is in control and he can orchestrate any circumstance for his glory--and we can take joy in that.

And what about Lazarus?  God gets the glory but what does poor Lazarus get?  Lazarus is given the free gift of new life through the power of God in Christ Jesus.  And just like Lazarus through faith we have been given the same (Romans 6:3-11). "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? . . . just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."  Laz's resurrection is a picture of our own new life in Christ.  Christians can live each new day with a grateful spirit, confident that in their darkest moments they possess the hope of Lazarus--the hope that comes with the gift of new life through the power of God in Christ Jesus.

What do hopeless situations look like through the eyes of a man who has experienced the ultimate power of Christ in his life--taking him from death to new life?  Does anything phase him now?  How does he respond to tragedy?  Does he remember that gift of new life 5 years later, 10 years later? I don't know, you tell me . . . 

Grace and Truth

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ and from His fullness we have received grace upon grace (John 1:17b,16)

The more I become aware of the truth of who I am--my selfishness, pride, greed, hypocrisy, etc.  the more I embrace the grace that comes through Jesus.  In his grace he died my death--paid my penalty--suffered for my sins.  In his grace he gave me a gift that I did not deserve, that I did not earn, and that I can not repay.  The truth of who I am reminds me that I need grace upon grace upon grace--and the truth that came through Jesus assures me that the grace is eternal and efficient.

Today is good Friday and I believe Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross is more than a beautiful picture--it is more than a compelling story--it is more than an inspiring idea.  I believe Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross is an event that actually happened 2000 years ago--it is an event that proclaims the grace and truth of a holy God's relentless love for humanity.

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ and from His fullness we have received grace upon grace.

The Story ()

The Story ()

Judas--Good or Bad?

I continue to be affected by the story of Judas as I read through the last days of Jesus' life. 

To summarize what we know of Judas--for years he follows Jesus.  One evening he witnesses a woman pour expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus (Mt26:6-13), and he goes to the chief priests to find out how much money he can make by turning Jesus in (Mt26:14-16).  Very soon thereafter Judas hands Jesus over to the authorities.  And not too long after that Judas is overcome with guilt--tries to give the money back--goes out and hangs himself (Mt27:3-10).  

I struggle with this question--was Judas a committed follower of Jesus who took his eyes off of Jesus for a period OR was Judas just following Jesus for his own personal gain, never truly committed to the cause of Christ? 

The majority of books and articles I read seem to think that Judas was a phony.  I suppose the story makes more sense with this view.  I suppose life is simpler in black and white--I like to be able to categorize people into either good or bad categories.  He must be a Christian because he said or did this, while she must not be a Christian because she said or did that.  While my life may be simpler by making such assumptions, my life may also lack depth and Christlike love by making such assumptions.

Currently I am leaning toward the idea that Judas was a committed follower of Jesus who screwed up, couldn't grasp the depth's of Christ's forgiveness, and drowned in his own guilt.  These days I would rather think the best of people, and I would hope people will return the favor.  

When the book of my life is written what will people assume of me? There will be stories of years of following Christ and there will be stories of selfishness and betrayal. . . . I hope people will see a flawed character trying to follow Christ, making mistakes, while struggling to understand and share His love and grace.

Friend

We are currently in the season of Lent, and in an attempt to prepare my heart for the death and resurrection I am reading through the episodes leading up to the crucifixion.  This week one image stands out above all the others--the kiss of betrayal in the garden.

Matthew 26:47-56 tells the story--Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples as Judas approaches with a large crowd armed with swords and clubs on orders to arrest this revolutionary.  Judas approaches Jesus and greets him with a kiss.  And Jesus' reply is, "Friend, do what you came for."

Friend?!  Really Jesus?!  Even to one of your closest followers who has just sold you out to the authorities--friend?  Even as he is stabbing the knife into your back--friend?  Even as he does it with something as intimate as a kiss--friend?  Even as he profits from your death--friend?

Jesus and Judas' embrace in the garden is a stunning example of Jesus' radical message of love and forgiveness.  His teaching to love your enemies was not mere words but it was the blood that pulsed through his veins--blood that in a matter of hours would be shed for the forgiveness of his friend Judas.

I suppose I shouldn't be as stunned as I am with this passage.  After all Jesus is the friend of sinners, and if I pause long enough to analyze my day and the decisions that I make I realize that I betray Jesus just like Judas did.  I sell out to the American dream or I sell out to my own selfish desires or I sell out for the acceptance of others or I sell out for even a few dollars.  And when I do--each and every time--Jesus whispers in my ear, "friend".  And if I am listening--that word drops me to my knees at the foot of the cross, and I cry out for his loving, grace-filled, forgiving blood to pour down over me--the blood that was shed to wash away Judas' sins and mine.  That simple word whispered from the lips of Jesus--friend--is a reminder to return home to the loving, forgiving friendship that God desires to have with you and with me.  Whether or not Judas embraced that friendship is an age-old debate--whether or not you and I will embrace that friendship is entirely up to you and I.

Temptation

Last week my wife, Caroline, bought ice cream.  This little fact may seem inconsequential to you--but it is a significant issue for me.  I love ice cream.  One of my favorite things to do in life is scoop myself a big bowl of ice cream, recline on my sofa, and watch a rerun of Seinfeld.  I am a simple man with simple pleasures.  However, in spite of the enjoyment ice cream brings me, I do not want it in my house.  We make an effort to not keep ice cream in the freezer because I know that I am not yet strong enough to resist the temptation it brings.  Undoubtedly 11pm rolls around, my feet are propped up on the couch, Kramer stumbles into Jerry's apartment, and I can hear the chocolate chip-cookie-dough calling my name--within seconds I am back on the couch, ice cream in hand.

Temptation . . . it comes in all shapes and sizes.  But how are we to deal with it?

Genesis 39:1-20 tells us the story of how Joseph responded to temptation.  The story goes like this: Joseph is the lead servant in his master's house.  One day his master's wife comes onto him wanting to sleep with him.  A close reading of the text reveals Joseph's 3 tiered response to this sexual temptation.  The first time she tempts him he refuses and explains to her his reasons for resisting (v8-9).  However, she keeps pressuring Joseph day after day to sleep with her, he continues to refuse, while in verse 10 we see tier 2 of his response--"he kept out of her way as much as possible."  By this time Joseph had learned that to simply refuse her was not an effective strategy, so he stepped it up a notch, and tried his best to avoid her.  Unfortunately, this woman had nothing better to do than pursue Joseph so she trapped him one day when no one was around--she grabbed his coat and demanded that he sleep with her--and at this Joseph stepped up to his third level of response and ran away leaving his coat in her arms.  The story continues and Joseph ends up in prison being falsely accused of sleeping with his master's wife.  But what stood out to me in the story is Joseph's strategy when it came to resisting temptation.  First, he said no and thoroughly explained himself. The pressure was even stronger so Joseph avoided the source of the temptation.  The tempter cornered Joseph and he ran away.

Life poses us countless temptations in a day.  Many we can simply say no to, but when we learn that a no will not work we need to avoid these situations, and when avoidance is inevitable we need to swallow our pride and run.

I am not sure what this means for my ice cream issue.  I have said no, and tried to avoid it--I purposefully don't bring it into my house.  But it seems to be cornering me, so I guess I need to run away.  I hope Caroline doesn't get the wrong idea, but I am going for a run. . . .   

Who is God?

How would you describe God? I suppose to some he is a distant deity in the sky, while to others he is one's personal psychiatrist; to some he is seen as a friend, and to some an enemy; many would point to atrocities in history and describe him as cruel, whereas many would point to stories they have seen of his loving kindness and describe him as good.  I tend to describe God as loving, merciful, and quite difficult to understand.  I tend to embrace what I see of his forgiveness and redemption and ignore what I see of his judgment and wrath.  Sometimes I find it difficult to give a concise, well-balanced description of God.   


As I was thinking about that this week I stumbled upon what is quickly becoming some of my favorite few lines of scripture:
the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:6b-7a)


So often my view of God is formed by culture, experiences, or just general lack of intentional thought.  All the while Scripture tells me exactly who God is.  So, if at some point in the future I am ever asked how I would describe God--I would like to quote these lines from Exodus. They are concise, well-balanced and better yet, true.  They refreshed my understanding of God this week, and I pray they can do the same for you.  


(And regarding punishment of the guilty, see Isaiah 53 and Romans 3--the punishment that brought us peace was upon him--God presented Christ as a sacrifice to be received by faith.  He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus)

The Good Shepherd

I am a new dad and as such I entertain scenarios that never before would have passed through my head. If you will indulge me here is a recent one:

I have a bunch of kids. Caroline and I have to leave for the weekend. We get a babysitter to watch the kids. We return to find one kid crying on the couch with an un-tended broken leg, another sick in bed, 3 missing, another glued to the t.v. watching Jersey Shore, and the babysitter in the backroom selling our sons lego creations on ebay.

Seems a little far-fetched I know, but I think we see a similar scenario spelled out in scripture, except replace the parents with God, the babysitter with shepherds, and the kids with sheep.

The scenario is presented in Ezekiel 34.

In verses 2-4 God calls out the religious leaders of the time for their poor shepherding of his flock:
2 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

Then in verse 10 God tells the bad shepherds about their fate:
I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

And in verses 11 and 12 he comforts the sheep:
I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

I know basically nothing about sheep and shepherds. My interaction with sheep is limited to petting zoos and my interaction with shepherds is limited to their pies. I know only slightly more about childcare than I do sheep, but still it helps me to think of it in a scenario that I am slightly more familiar with.  

Can you imagine how God is going to judge the religious leaders today who have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured?  Can you imagine how He will punish the shepherds today who are not out searching for the lost? Thousands of years ago God would not tolerate abuse nor neglect of his flock--and I don't think his attitude towards it has changed much.  

I am glad I stumbled across this passage this week.  It is a comforting reminder of God's intense love for his sheep as well as his intense hatred of those who rule them harshly or brutally.  May we all strengthen the week and search for the lost.

The good samaritan--how good can you be?

So, I am still developing the discipline it takes to publish these posts weekly on the same day--I have the weekly part down, and I will keep working on the regularity of posting them on the same day each week.

For the last couple weeks I have been reading and re-reading the story of the good samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  This story of a man being beaten, left for dead, ignored by the religious, and helped by his enemy is probably one of the most well known Bible stories of all time.  The samaritan's story is told time and time again to motivate us to do good works.  When I see someone broken down by the side of the road I need to stop and  help; when my elderly neighbor's sidewalk is covered in snow I need to get my wife to shovel it when she finishes with ours. You get the idea.  Only God knows how many millions of people have been helped because of this timeless story.

But I wonder if in spite of all the countless acts of kindness, we have missed the point of this story.  When I google, "what is the message of the good samaritan?" I get responses like, "do unto others as you would have done to you". But the story as we find it in the Bible opens with a lawyer asking Jesus this question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" and in response Jesus tells the story of the good samaritan.  This begs the question: Is behaving like the good samaritan the way to heaven?  I think the answer lies in the lawyer's original question--what must I do?  He comes to Jesus looking for something to do, and I think Jesus tells him a story of something the he knows the lawyer would never do--Jesus is illustrating that the "doing" path to God is an impossible one.

There is a little bit of the lawyer in me--I often come to Jesus looking for things to do.  I am naturally a doer, and I am always looking for the next assignment.  In my doer mentality I need to be reminded that there will always be something that I am unwilling to do.  I need to be reminded that the first step is not doing--the first step is believing.  Jesus tells me all I need to "do" in Mark 1:15, "repent and believe in the gospel."  If I can get the order down and believe first and do second, then the works of the gospel will flow out of me--not because of my effort, but because of the Spirit that is at work in me.

I hope the story of the good samaritan continues to motivate the people of the world to help each other.  But I also hope the story of the good samaritan wakes each of us up to our own inability to do enough--if the way of Jesus was about doing we would all fail.  Thankfully the way of Jesus is about believing, and that belief motivates us to do good works.  (James 2:14-26)

Lily Rose

Originally my plan for this blog was to update it weekly on Mondays, and here we are the second week into my new year's resolution and I am late--Oh well, life happens (literally).  On Saturday evening 1/15/2011 my daughter, Lily Rose Glidden was born.

This evening I have been thinking of Psalm 139--particularly verses 13-14:
¹³ For you created my inmost being; 
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
   your works are wonderful, 
   I know that full well.

Tonight I slowly peck away at the keys with one hand as my 3 day old daughter lies peacefully in the other.  As our eyes meet I can't help but be overcome with gratitude to the One who created my daughter's inmost being.  I sit here in wonder thinking of the God of the universe knitting together Lily Rose.  

The image of God as a knitter is not one I dwell on much.  Knitting seems reserved for widows and grandmothers, not The Alpha and Omega.  It seems like he would have more important things going on in all of eternity to tend to.  But maybe we would all benefit from meditating on the great knitter in the sky.  A weever dedicated to each garment--he weaves together the perfect combination of skin tones, body parts, hair color, boldness, innocence, sensitivity, and individuality.  He works slowly and methodically leaving a little bit of himself in each of his creations.  He is a perfectionist; he cuts no corners, and he takes great pride as he sets each of his precious creations free into a fallen world.  

Lily Rose is his creation and he has set her free into my care, and I praise him because my daughter is fearfully and wonderfully made.  His work is wonderful . . . I know that full well . . . full well.

New Year's Resolution - Start writing

So it's 2011 and I have finally stopped holding out on the idea of having a blog.  I actually opened this blog in January of 2008, but got cold feet and decided it was too cliche and/or narcissistic.  Im almost over that now and willing to give it a whirl.  The concept is pretty simple--I try to regularly read the Bible and let its stories and teachings shape my life.  So, once a week I will write about a biblical story or teaching that has particularly moved me.  Here's the first:

I have recently been reading the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50).  At the end of Genesis 39 Joseph has been falsely accused of raping the wife of his boss--a high-ranking Egyptian official.  To get to this point Joseph has already been ambushed by his own brothers, thrown into a pit, and sold into slavery.  He ends up far from home as a slave in Egypt only to be falsely accused of rape and thrown in prison.

I have heard the story of Joseph countless times, and each time I get to this point my tendency is to champion Joseph as one who refuses to let the unjust circumstances of life bring him down--he is nearly a perfect character who consistently focuses on the positive and maintains such a high-level of integrity and faithfulness that despite his dire circumstances he repeatedly earns the respect of those around him.  I find myself wanting to be as unwavering in the face of trials as he is. But I wonder if perhaps I give Joseph a little more credit than the text actually does.

In Genesis 39:20, Joseph has been unjustly sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison in a foreign land; and by Genesis 39:22-23 Joseph is in charge of everything in the prison.  What happened in verse 21?  Did Joseph remain faithful to his faith and keep his focus on God?  Was Joseph unwavering in the face of this trial?  Did Joseph let this negative circumstance affect him? . . . We don't know, the story doesn't tell us--and the importance of that fact should not be overlooked.  Verse 21 says, "the Lord was with him, he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden." At this point in the story the author cleverly shifts our attention from Joseph to God--why?

In my life I am constantly battling this misconception that God will reward me based on my performance.  I read this story of Joseph and if I don't check myself I will walk away with the idea that I need to be more like Joseph so that God will bless me like he blessed Joseph.  So I turn the sinful, selfish, complex character of Joseph into a one-dimentional, selfless, saint; and I beat myself up because I always fail to respond like Joseph.  But, I wonder if Joseph actually sat in that prison cell totally demoralized and ready to give up on life and faith.  I wonder if maybe what pulled him out of his depression was a prison guard that believed in him and repeatedly showed him kindness.  I wonder if Joseph failed sometimes--just like I do--but God in his kindness and grace gave him another shot.  We will never know how Joseph initially responded to being thrown in prison, and that, to me, is the beauty of the moment.  We will never know because the significance isn't found in Joseph's performance--the significance is found in God's grace.

My significance is not found in my performance, my significance is found in God's grace.