As a boy growing up in the United States, I had many occasions to listen to a radio program called “The Paul Harvey Show”. If you are not old enough to remember Paul Havey you deeply missed a fantastic program. Paul was an amazing orator and I loved hearing his famous tagline, “and now you know the rest of the story.” Like the Paul Harvey show I would like to make this weekly newsletter short enough to make it exciting yet long enough to cover the subject.
The first topic that I wanted to approach comes from a story out of the Bible. I realize that not all my friends believe in the Bible, but there is still value in the story. This is the story of Joseph. Joseph came from a large, blended family. In a way I can relate to Joseph in that his siblings wanted to kill him…haha just kidding. Joseph’s brothers did not particularly like that the brother who they despised claimed that he had a vision wherein he would be their ruler. Joseph’s brothers started the ball rolling for him. There is a lesson in here about how sometimes our enemies give us that push to become great.
Joseph’s brothers decide to sell Joseph to a band of traders and, he ends up in Egypt in the house of Potiphar, who was the pharaoh’s chief guard. Potiphar is so impressed with Joseph that he makes him his chief councilor. Think for a moment about what qualities Joseph might have had to garner such great honor from Potiphar. A twist in the plot occurs and the wife of Potiphar tries to seduce Joseph. Because Joseph flees his seducer grabs his robe and claims that Joseph tried to rape her.
Joseph is cast into prison and while there becomes genuinely liked by all. Joseph gets his big break when the Pharoah finds out that he can interpret dreams. Joseph was able to interpret the Pharoah’s dream that there would be seven years of feast and seven years of famine.
What are the financial lessons to be learned from this? How did the greatest country in the region and in the world become so vulnerable? How did that liability become such an asset to Egypt? What liabilities do you personally have that could become assets? A car? a student loan? A home? a job that you feel that you aren’t getting any traction in? a relationship?
It was through perseverance that Joseph was able to be in the right place, at the right time and from that pivotal place move in a very precise way to benefit entire nations.
***End with catchy phrase here***
I have a special gift for the one who’s phrase I use.
