Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people?
In a fallen world, evil, injustice and betrayal will happen to all of us sooner or later. No matter how righteously we live or how devoted to God, we can expect to experience evil and injustice (1 Pet. 5:12, 2 Tim. 3:12). So critical and difficult is this issue, that God allows over 25% of the first book in the Bible to teach us how to respond to the evil aimed at us (Gen. 37-50). Joseph’s life provides a vivid picture and specific principles to effectively deal with the evil aimed at us. We can have good come from evil aimed at us.
Notice some of the bad things that happened to Joseph: God sovereignly allowed Joseph to be born in a dysfunctional family (37), (2) rejected by his siblings (37), abandoned to a foreign land (37), sold into slavery (39), falsely accused of rape (39), sent to prison unjustly (39), and forgotten by a ‘friend’ (40).
How did Joseph respond to these evil circumstances: He survived – learned and adapted. He thrived – used his gifts where he was. He resisted – refused to bail out on God’s agenda for his life. He waited on God’s time and place. He grew as he faced his issues and forgave others for theirs.
Joseph’s secret to overcome evil: He knew something, He did something, and He refused to do something.
Joseph knew God was in control.
But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 45:5-8)
Nothing comes into our lives by accident. It is either decreed or allowed by an all-wise, sovereign God for our good. We must actively believe that God uses even the evil aimed at us to fulfill His good purposes for our lives. You are never a victim of your bad circumstances.
Joseph did something.
“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.”’ “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.” (Genesis 45:9-13)
Joseph did something – He blessed those who cursed him. We must willfully choose to bless those who have hurt and betrayed us. The prerequisite to blessing our enemies is to first forgive them from the heart. This is a roadblock for many. Blessing our enemies moves from forgiving them to actually ‘doing good to them.’
Joseph refused to do something.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.”’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants. Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:15-21)
Joseph refused to take revenge. We must refuse to take revenge even when the opportunity presents itself. Personal retaliation is a prohibited response for Christ followers (Rom. 12:17-21). Bearing grudges are destructive to our souls. ‘Bitterness is like acid, it does more damage to the container in which it is stored than the object on which it is poured. We must choose to forgive those who hurt us from the retribution they deserve because Christ has done that for us.
The only way to overcome the evil that happens to us, is to respond by doing good. Forgive, pray, and do good to your enemies. You may not be able to answer why bad things happen, but you can know how you should handle it. Do Good!
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