From Prison to Palace

Are you a Christian who feels called to lead people? To be successful in business? To have influence and a platform?

How you get there matters, and the path might be harder than you think.  

If you want to know how to prosper in leadership and influence God’s way, start by reading the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis in the Bible. His story is a real page-turner. It starts out pretty rough and has a surprise ending.

When Joseph was a teen, his jealous brothers sold him as a slave. He worked faithfully in the home of a rich leader, but the leader’s wife came onto him. Joseph dodged her and ran away, but she lied to her husband and said he tried to attack her. He was thrown into prison as a result.

In prison he meets a couple of guys who are servants of Pharoah. They are only there a few days, but he correctly interprets their dreams while there. He asks them to remember him to Pharoah, but they don’t.

Until two years later – when Pharoah has a dream and his servant suddenly remembers the guy who interpreted his dream in prison. Pharoah calls Joseph in, and Joseph says his dream means there will be seven years of abundance in Egypt, followed by seven years of famine. He recommends Pharoah starts stockpiling food for the famine years.

Pharoah is so impressed that right then and there, he makes Joseph his right-hand man, second to none in Egypt except Pharoah himself.

Joseph’s own brothers travel to Egypt and beg him for food, not recognizing their own brother. Joseph messes with them a little bit, but eventually reveals his true identity, choosing to forgive his brothers and extend them grace rather than exact revenge. Their family is saved, Egypt is saved, and the nation of Israel is saved.

No one could have predicted that a story that started with jealousy, betrayal, and injustice would end so triumphantly. Nobody knew that the former slave would become ruler over them all. Nobody realized the ex-con would be promoted from the prison to the palace.

For most of us, the journey to promotion is often long and arduous. Painful, at times. But here are a few tips straight from Joseph’s life to help you endure hardship and be ready for promotion:

-          Serve with excellence no matter how lowly the position

-          Maintain your integrity and faith no matter what

-          Understand that trials are maturing and preparing you

-          Choose forgiveness over revenge

-          Look for God’s hand and purpose even in the hard stuff

Because even when you think no one is watching, God is. God sees you. He sees the pain, he sees your heart, he’s seen your integrity and the work you’ve put in.

So when things feel really difficult, just remember:

There’s a purpose in your pain.

There’s an important process to gaining a platform.

There’s often a prison before there’s a palace.