What's Your Lane (7)?

Open your Bibles to Proverbs 3. We’ll get to that at the end.

Question -

DO YOU TRUST GOD?

Before you answer, understand

There is a difference between trusting God for salvation and trusting God with our lives.

Trusting God with our salvation means that we trust in Jesus Christ and His death on a cross, His resurrection, that through His blood our sin debt is paid and forgiven, and Christ delivered us from an eternity in Hell, adopted us into His family and secured our place in Heaven forever and ever. So, by placing our trust in Christ, we have salvation - eternal life.

But what about trusting God with the story of our lives?

Do we trust that as our stories unfold, individually and collectively, God is somehow weaving His plans, His will and His goodness (providence) into our lives to form a bigger story that is way beyond our comprehension?

Do we trust God with the story of our lives even when we don’t know what the story will be, and/or when the story is not quite what we hoped it would be? Hold onto that.

Over the last several weeks we have concluded that God expects us to participate with Him in the Great Commission – to go and make disciples – that as we go along in life, we are to live in such a way that guides people toward Jesus. Furthermore, God expects us to do what we can with what we’ve been given. Whether it’s natural talents and strengths, spiritual gifts, hobbies, learned skills, trades, or the way we’re wired, etc., God expects us to do what we can with what we’ve been given so we can finish well. So He can receive what we’ve done and hear – “Well done ….”

We’ve been calling this our lane. E.G. – I’m wired for peace and harmony (can’t we all get along). I’m wired for art – painting and drawing. Wired to model for men’s fitness magazine. That’s my lane – you have yours. Of course, our lances overlap and intersect ….

Doing what we can with what we’ve been given in our lane can be very enjoyable, exciting, rewarding …. But sometimes, not so much. Last week we looked at the life of Joseph (Genesis chapters 37-50). If you’re not familiar with the life of Joseph, here’s a summary. He was the favored, pampered, and arrogant son of Jacob (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob – Patriarchs of Israel). Joseph was the 11th of the 12 sons (12 tribes). At age17, God have him some dreams that he flaunted. These were offensive to his brothers. For several reasons, his brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. He was taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, a high-ranking official under Pharaoh. Abuse, abandonment, adversity, human trafficking, tragedy – yet Joseph faithfully served God and Potiphar for 11 years.

Joseph did not choose the path he walked, but he did choose how he walked the path.

God was with Joseph and blessed him and he became a successful man. Consequently, Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his entire household.

Joseph did not choose this adversity, yet he discovered his talents and strengths (i.e. lane) through adversity.

He discovered that he was a talented administrator and leader, and so he did what he could with what he had been given, even as a slave.

That’s where we left off. The whole story of Joseph is 13 chapters - so here’s a little snippet of what happened next. Potiphar’s wife wanted to hook up with Joseph, Joseph said, “No thank you. I cannot sin against God or my master.” She falsely accused him, and Potiphar tossed Joseph in prison (could have had him killed …). Talk about a rollercoaster!

Pampered. Slavery. Head of Potiphar’s house. Prison. “Come on! God, I have faithfully served you for 11 years in a place I did not choose! Yes, You blessed me but how is this right! What about the dreams!? How is this working all things out for good?!” 11 years as a slave, serving with integrity and doing what is right. And now a prisoner – which lasted 2 years.

The text never mentions God speaking or manifesting His presence or doing anything that we would hope God would do in a situation like. Maybe God did – maybe He didn’t – don’t know. It simply says that through abandonment, slavery, and imprisonment God was with him and blessed him.

So, given that context,

What do you think God wanted Joseph to do in adversity? Trust.

“Joseph, trust me. Trust that I AM with you. Trust me with the story as it unfolds. Trust that I am working My will into your story, even if you can’t see it. Joseph, trust me, even on a journey you did not choose.”

Again, I ask,

DO YOU TRUST GOD?

- even when the story is not what we would have chosen, or when it doesn’t make sense, or when it’s difficult – do we trust God?

Listen to what happened while Joseph was in prison.

Genesis 39:21–23 ESV

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

Do you see a pattern here? Joseph’s administrative and leadership strengths emerged again. When we’re looking for our lane, it’s often beneficial to look back and find patterns or repeated moments when we were at our best and excelled or succeeded. In the profession of coaching we call this discovering your High-Performance Pattern. If you’re interested …. That is something I can help with.

Once again, Joseph walked a path he did not choose, yet he chose to remain faithful to God and do what he could with what he had been given. Once again

Joseph was in a place where had no control over his life. The only thing he controlled was how to respond.

He chose to trust God with his story. What are you choosing?

Now, in chapter 41 we see some Divine intervention. God gave Joseph a platform in which to let his light shine (his lane). Joseph stood before Pharaoh and interpreted a dream that no other magicians or priests could. God had revealed to Pharaoh that the land would have 7 years of abundance and then 7 years of famine. Pharaoh was like, “Dude, what are we going to do?” At that moment, Joseph saw the door God opened and he walked through it. God provided a moment for Joseph to use his God-given talents of administration and leadership. He said, “Pharaoh, here’s the solution. Easy peasy!” Pharaoh was blown away – so impressed, he made Joseph the “VP” of Egypt. He became the administrator of this plan to save Egypt from destruction.

God used a Jewish man to save a lost, rebellious and sinful nation – a nation that worshipped all the wrong gods. I know of another Jewish man whom God used 2,000 years later to save a lost, rebellious, and sinful world. Jesus. Interesting whom God will use to rescue the broken, the lost, the rebellious, and the sinful.

Joseph’s story.

What began as a story of abandonment, slavery, imprisonment became a story of rescue and salvation.

What about your story? Is it possible that God has or will or is using your story to rescue others? I know

God wants to use our stories, but the question is will we trust Him with our stories.

Will we trust God with what we’ve done and what’s been done to us? Will we trust God with our past, present, our future? Will we trust God with our sin, our temptations, our tragedies, our blessings …? Will we trust God with our story, our whole story, no matter what?

Maybe some of you have been hiding your story – while God wants to use it.

We’ll finish this next week. Let me close with this. As I read from Proverbs 3, connect it with Joseph’s story and yours.

Proverbs 3:3–8 ESV

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

[What is it? What will be healing? Trusting God with your story].

Let’s take a moment to listen to God’s Spirit.

Children’s Moment (2)