What to Do When Life Isn’t Fair

Recap: God is Good, All the Time

• Joseph is betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. His father believes he has been killed and mourns for him bitterly (Gen. 37).

Every time things started to look up for Joseph, life came crashing back down:

• Gen. 37 — Esteemed by his father… cast down into the pit.
• Gen. 39 — Esteemed by his Master… cast down into the dungeon. 
• Gen. 40 — Esteemed by the warden … cast aside and forgotten.

Nevertheless, God is still good, and God still has a plan. Joseph ends up in Egypt — the nation he will one day save.

Today: What To Do When Life Isn’t Fair

Main Passage: Genesis 39-40

• Despite all the unjust suffering, Joseph didn’t blame God or abandon his faith. He stayed true and chose to glorify God anyway.

Life in Potiphar’s House

Scripture: Genesis 39:1-6

• Life Lesson: God is still with us even in our darkest valleys, and his presence is the key to our success.
• Psalm 23:1-6; 2 Cor. 1:8-11; Isa. 41:8-13

God Was With Joseph in Egypt.

• Because of this, everything Joseph did prospered — and so did everything Potiphar was involved in. 
• No matter what else is happening in our lives, one thing we can always be sure of is that God is with us (See Matthew 28:20). 
• God’s presence is what helps us get through the dark valleys in our lives (Psalm 23:4).

Resisting Temptation

Scripture: Genesis 39:6-12

• Joseph stands firm in his faith, resists temptation, and runs away from sin.
• 2 Timothy 2:22 — “Flee the evil desires of youth.”

Jesus talks about resisting temptation in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:27-30).

• Adultery is a sinful action, but it starts with a sinful thought or attitude in a person’s heart: lust. 
• In Jesus’ eyes, the sinful attitude is just as bad as the sinful action. 
• We need to resist sin at the heart level, not just the behavior level.
• If we understand how serious sin is, we will take a radical stand against temptation, even if it costs us a proverbial eye or hand.

Living With Integrity 

Joseph demonstrated his integrity by taking a radical stand against temptation.

• Even though Joseph had lost everything and had every right to be angry at God and the world, he still chose to honor God and do right by his master anyway. 
• It’s not common to see people live with this kind of integrity and moral conviction.

The World’s Standard: Honoring Me, Myself, And I.

• I’ll do whatever makes me happy, whatever I deserve, whatever feels right in the moment, whatever it takes to get even, whatever I can get away with.

The Bible’s Standard: Love God, Love Others

• Does it glorify God? Does it bless my neighbors? Does it lift up the vulnerable? Is it rooted in God’s Word? Does it overcome evil with good? Does it help me become holy, or just happy for a moment?

Why Do We Live This Way?

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

• We sacrifice our lives for others because Jesus sacrificed his life for us. 

Living this way might prove costly, like it did for Joseph. He was thrown in prison for doing the right thing.

• Joseph once again pays the price for someone else’s sin. 

Life Lesson: Taking Jesus seriously might cost us a lot now, but ignoring him will cost us even more. See: Matt. 10:38-39 and Luke 9:23-26

Joseph’s Time in Prison (Gen. 40)

God was with Joseph in prison and caused him to prosper. Despite helping Pharaoh’s officials, Joseph is forgotten for two more years.

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

• One day Joseph will ascend to power and have the ability to get even with all of his perceived enemies. But he doesn’t use his power or position to go on a revenge tour. 
• What does he do instead? He practices what we see in Romans 12: Patience, forgiveness, and overcoming evil with good.

Application

• Choose to honor God even when life doesn’t feel fair. 
• Don’t live by the world’s ethical standard (it’s all about me)… embrace the Biblical standard for your life: Loving God and loving others.
• Resist temptation, live with integrity, and overcome evil with good.
• Meditate on 1 Peter 1:20-21 and pray for God to show you how you can apply this verse in your life. 

Study and Reflection

Read: Ephesians 5:1-20

1. Ephesians 5 focuses on what the life of a disciple ought to look like. In your own words, how would you summarize the Christian lifestyle, based on this passage?
2. The Bible is very clear about what Christians are supposed to do (commands). It’s also very clear about why we ought to do those things (motivation). How would you describe to a newer Christian the reason why we are called to live a different life?
3. What kind of example does God set us, and what does it mean to “walk in the way of love” (verses 1-2)? What might it mean to “live as children of light” (verse 9)?
4. Paul’s list of unChristian traits includes sinful actions and sinful attitudes (or thoughts). How does this connect with Jesus’ teachings on anger and lust from the Sermon on the Mount?
5. Paul mentions that Christians ought to practice gratitude instead of the sinful actions and habits of the world (v. 4, 20). How does a grateful heart lead us to a more Christ-centered way of life? How could a lack of gratitude push us into temptation?
6. What was your reaction to hearing Paul say that everything that is done in secret will eventually be exposed by the light?
7. What kinds of connections can you make between this passage and the story of Joseph so far?
8. What is one specific way you can apply this verse in your life?