Three Transits to Promotion

Three Transits to Promotion

Once a trip from London to Johannesburg required an eighteen hours wait in transit for a connecting flight. On arrival at the connecting airport, despite advice to the contrary, I could not find transit accommodation. Suddenly, I faced the stuck reality of eighteen long waiting hours in the transit area. What a relief when I discovered I could pay a small additional amount and wait for only two hours. Joseph also went through transit places on his journey to promotion (Genesis 37, 39-41). The lesson from him is that the journey of promotion can be much longer than eighteen hours. You also are not always able to find alternatives. In fact, you often lack full understanding of how long the wait and how far from the destination. The comfort in transit is expectation that eventually the wait ends.

Joseph rose from his family home to the palace where he became governor of Egypt. His rise was hardly obvious yet so real. He went through three transit places, the pit, Potiphar’s house and the prison.  The transit places Joseph went through as well as the starting place and the destination offer lessons. Joseph moved from each place through automatic propulsions or sudden unanticipated developments.  People and factors other than you often determine time for your promotion. Your part is to trust God from whom promotion comes.  The summary below highlights some lessons from Joseph’s experience. 

Beginnings - The Family place (Genesis 37:1-22). Joseph’s early life family experience despite the resentment he suffered from siblings, teaches about God’s wonderful plan (Jeremiah 29:11). It is a reminder that God has a wonderful plan for every person and is making it clearer each day. God revealed his plan for Joseph when he was in a safe family environment. Joseph nurtured the dream in his heart. He also had such positive self-perception to share his dreams so convincingly that the brothers took them so seriously as to want to kill him. Family is a foundational preparatory place for laying foundations for life. It is a laboratory for love, responsibility, serving and discipline. You also need a safe and supporting environment where your character is developed and you have room to explore your interests and discover your promotion’s direction. God promotes in the direction of his wonderful plan.

Transit 1) The Pit (Genesis 37:23-28).  Joseph’s pit experience was extended to the hands of Ishmaelites. It teaches God’s sovereign rule on matters concerning you. Such favor is most apparent when you are not in a position to influence decisions being made about your life and other people control what happens. No one would listen to Joseph as he pleaded for his life (Genesis 42:21). For example, you are in a pit when a hostile executive team meets to decide your future. You are out of the pit when a favorable decision is made otherwise you are finished. The pit is the school of hard knocks where you learn through the hardships of life experience. All you can do in the pit is to trust God and call on him. Only faith and praise can pull you out of a pit, where a dark shadow of death hovers over you (Psalm 23:4). Joseph’s dreams together with his life were under threat. He could not help himself. Thank God for coming to his rescue.

Transit 2) Potiphar’s place (Genesis 39:1-20). Joseph’s experience in Potiphar’s house teaches the grace of God. God was gracious by showing undeserved favor to Joseph.  Anything could have happened to him at the hands of the Ishmaelites who bought him for twenty pieces of silver. Possibilities range from being relegated to some fieldwork back in their homeland or made to work in some brothel.  When he was sold to an official of the king of Egypt it was like coming from the dead (Genesis 37:36). In any case, at home he had been declared dead (Genesis 37:34).   God was with Joseph and gave him favor with Potiphar. Interestingly, he was close to the palace yet still far. God’s wonderful plan was for him not to be in the palace but over the palace.

Potiphar’s house was a school of obedience. He learnt to take orders, work hard and achieve excellence. Later he would give orders to others. One who has not followed does not qualify to lead others.  Like at a University he learnt how to work under pressure and achieve excellent results. He learnt to forgive and not let the past hold him back from moving on with his life. Potiphar’s house was a school on how to serve under authority in a non-family environment. He learnt about palace life culture and people. It is amazing how much house cleaners in the plush areas of society know about their bosses and their friends.

He also had God’s grace, which teaches to deny ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12). God’s grace gave him the ability to flee when his dream was threatened. In the pit he could not flee but now he could make the choice. He refused to sin against God who held a wonderful plan for him.

Transit 3) The Prison (Genesis 40). Joseph’s prison experience teaches God’s ability to set people free. Jesus taught that who ever he set free would be free indeed (John 8:36).  God wants to remove all that limits your growth and potential. Sometimes its constraints that are evil and in other cases it is good things that keep you complacent stopping you from moving to greatness. In prison Joseph was a leader to other prisoners. However as a large tree panted in a small pot, he could only be as big as the prison confinement allowed. His original dream was virtually dead. He must have been  stretched to the limit, with all hope lost. By now, his list of questions had grown. He must have been bewildered in the wilderness between his pit and his dream promotion. He could easily have settled in the substitute of being the chief of prisoners that he was (Genesis 39:21-23).

The prison was a school on how to serve in a constraining environment to create leads to freedom. He learnt to maintain desire for freedom. He asked the butler to get him out of that place (Genesis 40:14).  He learnt how to serve under strict prison guidelines. It was like he was in an advanced school of obedience and discipline. It takes humility to make do with what is available when you have desire for more space, when you cannot have your way right away. Joseph also learnt about social ills in Egypt by the nature of crimes and prisoners from many backgrounds, from the street pavements to the palace.  He learnt about the justice system. Do not lose hope in your prison. Hold on to what is remaining.  It shall be as it was told you (Acts 27:25).

Promotion - The Palace (Genesis 41). The palace experience of Joseph completed his promotion. It teaches the faithfulness of God. The dream come true was itself like dreaming. It was a sudden resurrection of something dead for a person pronounced dead. When he was told Pharaoh wanted to speak to him, he could never have guessed the finest moment of his life had arrived. The fulfillment was no doubt way beyond what Joseph could have anticipated. God fulfills his promise and exceeds expectations. God watches over his wonderful plan. He works wonders. He breaks the chains that hold you back and releases you to become all that he intended for you.  He does exceeding beyond what you may think or imagine.

Do not limit yourself even by the sky. You have already been elevated in Christ. Everything else will align to conform what you already have, as you love and trust the author of your hope. Even if the system is unfair and corrupt because the leaders are mean, do not appreciate, and don’t notice. They could be manipulative, abusive and apportion your credit elsewhere or use some irregular criteria such as race or nepotism for promotion. In due time without fail God will by pass them and sadly, they will lose you. He looks at your heart and ability to response. Examples in the Bible include story of Laban and Jacob, Modecai and Haman, Daniel and the big Officials of king Darius. Remember God is your employer.

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa