Leadership Lessons from the Life of Joseph – Part II: Joseph and Character

Posted: August 12th, 2009

Last week we started our look at Joseph and leadership by discussing vision. Today we take a look at Joseph’s character. Character is something that is important in any walk of life, but in leadership and in networking home businesses character is essential! As we will see Joseph is a great model we can learn from.

Joseph’s character first shows through when he was just a young man. Arriving in Egypt, after having been sold as a slave by his brothers, Joseph was placed as a servant to Potiphar, the captain of the Egyptian guard. We are told that Potiphar

“saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did” (Genesis 39:3).

Charles Swindoll teaches on the intimacy of Joseph’s relationship with God at this point saying,

“[God] guided him. He gave him facility in the Egyptian language. On top of all that, he gave him favor in the eyes of Potiphar. Clearly, God was the secret of Joseph’s success…… Furthermore, Joseph didn’t have to tell Potiphar that the Lord was with him; Potiphar could see it for himself.”

If you live a life that is centered on an intimate relationship with God, a life of highest character, others will see that there is something about you. This will attract people to you in your business, it will increase your credibility, and more importantly it will draw people towards Jesus. If bringing glory to God isn’t already the main purpose of building your business, I suggest you make it a priority.

Joseph quickly rose to power and influence and was soon put in charge of Potiphar’s household. This is when a major test of his character came. Potiphar’s wife started pursuing Joseph inviting him to sleep with her. Joseph refused saying,

“With me in charge… my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”(Genesis 39:8-9).

Joseph’s answer demonstrates loyalty. Loyalty to his master, and loyalty to God. It also demonstrates that Joseph knew God’s will. Have you ever wonder how Joseph knew that sleeping with Potiphar’s wife would be a sin against God? There were no Ten Commandments at this time, there was no Bible. So how did Joseph know this would be a sin? He knew because he had an intimate relationship with God. We to need to have that kind of relationship with our Heavenly Father. Being in consistent communication with God through prayer, taking time to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and read His Word, can put us in a place where we are acutely aware of God’s will – this will help us avoid sin and resist all temptation.

The next example of Joseph’s character we are going to look at takes place a number of years later. Joseph is now the Prime Minister of all of Egypt. A famine had taken over the whole earth, and Joseph’s brothers have come to Egypt looking for food. Remember these are the same brothers that had sold him into slavery about twenty years earlier. What is amazing is Joseph’s reaction. Joseph reveals himself to them, with love and forgiveness in his heart. The initial reaction of the brothers when Joseph revealed himself to them was fear:

“Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph!’…. But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence” (Genesis 45:3)

But Joseph was not going to condemn them for what they had done twenty years previously:

“And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you……. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance…. God made me lord over all of Egypt” (Genesis 45:5-9)

In time Joseph had seen God’s plans in his experiences. Joseph could look back and see that he was in God’s plan all along. These words are not the words of an angry brother, they are the words of someone wise with perspective, and filled with forgiveness. When people do you wrong you need to trust God’s will for your life, you need to lovingly forgive those who have harmed you.

So throughout Joseph’s life he demonstrated character that came from an intimate relationship with God. Take this as an example and model it throughout your life. Leadership is influence, and your influence can only increase by living a life that is filled with true character.

As a leader, people will be looking up to you. People will do what you do. As you help others to see success in their business they will look to you for guidance in other areas their life, and if they know you are a Christian they will closely watch you to make sure you walk your talk. Follow the example of Joseph, and make character a priority.

Danny Gamache

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