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Dealing With Stress and Anxiety
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,
because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made
a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that
their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him
and could not speak a kind word to him.
Genesis 37:3-4
Of all the the bible characters I have come to love--- one
amazing man comes to mind. His life was very interesting and
continues to give valuable lessons that are still applicable in our
modern times. His name was Joseph ... the favorite son of
Jacob... a man who had beautiful dreams ... the object of
sibling rivalry.
In the story, Joseph was always the center of his father's love
and attention. Jacob even gave Joseph a colorful coat or
garment that came to symbolize how special he was in his
father's eyes. Later on, he would pay for his father's foolish
actions. Joseph's brothers resented him because he was the
favorite son. Jacob, the father, had two wives, two
concubines, and twelve sons --- all competing for his attention.
Joseph's family drama have all the makings of a t.v soap
opera...with various episodes of jealousy, hatred, deception
and self-interest. Reading the account of Joseph's life is like
being glued to the t.v screen full of anticipation about what will
happen next.
Joseph, “the dreamer,” once told his brothers about a dream
that a day would come when they would all bow down to him.
This dream made his brothers grow more angry towards him.
One day, Joseph was sent by his father on an errand.
Specifically, Joseph was sent to visit his brothers who were
working in the field. Some accounts say that his brothers
plotted to kill him but later decided to throw Joseph into a pit.
Joseph's brothers also took his colorful coat and wiped it with
animal blood. They later lied to their father by saying that
Joseph died after being attacked by wild animals. After some
time at the bottom of the pit, Joseph was picked up by
traveling merchants and later sold him into slavery.
The young lad was later sold by the merchants to Potiphar, one
of the Egyptian Pharaoh's trusted leaders. As a worker in
Potiphar's household, he became distinguished in his labors.
He was later appointed supervisor over Potiphar's household.
The story takes a drastic turn when Potiphar's wife falsely
accused Joseph of attempting to sexually assault her. Of
course, Potiphar's wife did this to get back at Joseph who
repeatedly warded off her sexual advances. Enraged by the
accusation, Potiphar sent Joseph to prison.
In prison, Joseph again found favor by being able interpret the
dreams of the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was so full of stress and
anxiety about the horrible dreams he had and the visions he
could not understand. Through Joseph, the Pharaoh was able
to understand the economic implications of his dreams for the
land of Egypt. Later, he was appointed governor of Egypt.
The famine that struck the land where Jacob and his sons lived
became the reason why they were later reunited.
Reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers paved the way
for Jacob to again see his son.
This remarkable story shows how we, like Joseph, must cling to
faith even in the most trying circumstances. Stress and
anxiety need not stop us from believing that God hasn't
forsaken us and that we have been left alone in the middle of
all our troubles. Indeed, overcoming life's challenges is a
journey of trust, faith, and perseverance that all of us must
take. Like Joseph, we can also dream great dreams and live
up to our fullest potential.