Life.

The journey from the cradle to the grave can be a wild ride.

Some seasons are better than others. But there’s always a lesson to be learned. And if you don’t learn your lesson the first time, you keep taking the test until you do.

Sadly, some folks seem to stay in a remedial circle of craziness and never start making better choices.

Here are 5 life lessons I’ve gleaned from Genesis 39. I pray they will help you.

1. Who you think you are, matters more than what they think of you.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. This was no accidental injury. It was intentional. They wanted him dead. Their hatred of him and his dreams grew into a “we’ll see who’s gonna serve who” mentality.

As a slave in a foreign land, Joseph is as good as dead in his family’s minds. His brothers assumed they’d never have to deal with that dreaming slave again. They intentionally orphaned him.

To the Egyptians, Joseph is nothing more than a Hebrew slave. They’re less concerned about his ancestry than they are about his work. They don’t know his father, and they don’t care what his brothers did. He’s nothing more in their minds than a working slave.

But identity matters. And what others think (or don’t think) of you is really none of your business. What God thinks of you should be the primary force that shapes your identity.

Joseph was raised to believe in and know the God of his fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He knew the One who authored his dreams and kept him alive. He maintained his identity as a servant of God, while others thought of him as a mere slave.

Others might think of you as an orphan or a slave. But you can live as a child of God and a servant of God. The right mindset brings you into the blessing of God, and His favor will follow your work.

Christian, who you think you are matters more than what they think of you.

2. Running from sexual temptation is the best strategy for avoiding the sin.

Joseph is a handsome young man according to 39:6. This physical specimen did not escape the attention of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph tried to be nice, using the right words and keeping his distance. He rebuked, rebuffed, and refused her advances.

But one day, no one else was around. Mrs. Potiphar seized her opportunity, grabbed ahold of the object of her affection, and would not let him go. What’s a chaste young man supposed to do?

Joseph fled the scene. He ran outside at the expense of leaving his outer garment behind.

Here’s a parenthetical sidebar: Joseph sure seems to have a hard time keeping up with his coats. First, his brothers stripped him of his coat of many colors. And years later, this temptress has kept his outer covering as well.

With sexual temptations abounding at every turn, what’s a modern man or woman to do?

Run! Flee! Pluck it out! Cut it off! This is one of those temptations that we have too little strength to fight. So, don’t!

Flee from it. Run and don’t look back. Let the mockers say what they will. Keep your character pure.

3. You can do the right thing and still get in trouble.

Joseph did the right thing by running from Mrs. Potiphar. She was a seductress sent to destroy Joseph’s character. Thank God he ran. Had he been caught in the act with her, he’d have likely been executed on the spot.

But he still got in trouble. It was bad trouble with a capital T. And the truth is that he didn’t do anything wrong. NOTHING!

It’s a mistaken notion that some people have. It’s a weird and unbiblical concept. Many people think that if you always do the right thing, you’ll never get in trouble. Biblical precedent and life experience teach us better.

So, whatever shall we do? DO THE RIGHT THING!

Just do the next right thing and leave the consequences in the hands of Almighty God. He won’t lose track of you, and He will see your righteous character.

It’s better to do the right thing and get in trouble with man than to do the wrong thing and get in trouble with God and man.

4. Just because you see the facts, doesn’t mean you know the truth.

Mrs. Potiphar accused Jospeh of attempted rape. And in her version of the events, she’s a victim, and he’s the assailant. She reversed the roles.

But think for a moment about Joseph’s facts in chapter 39. They don’t look too good for the young man. As a matter of fact, if you saw the facts, you’d think he’s guilty as charged.

What are the facts?

The fact is Joseph was seen running out of Potiphar’s house with some of his clothing missing. Don’t people run when they’re guilty? Surely, an innocent man would have stood his ground in the house.

The fact is Joseph was a slave from a foreign country. And his accuser was the spouse of one of the most powerful men in Egypt. When the accounts are told by each of them, whose words will carry the most believable weight, as though it were a fact?

The fact is Joseph was the only other person in the house when his seductress grabbed him. There’s not one soul who can corroborate Joseph’s story.

The fact is Joseph was handsome, and we’ll presume Mrs. Potiphar was also easy on the eyes. Guess who looks guilty as sin, of sin?

But the truth is Joseph did not sin. Yes, the seen facts are lined up against him. But the truth is something that only he, his accuser, and God knew. The absolute truth is that Joseph maintained his integrity and did not do what his accuser said.

God help those who have a habit of believing the seen facts and making premature judgments. Rest assured; God does know your heart. And He knows that sometimes, you refuse the truth because of the facts you’ve seen.

Friend, just because you’ve seen the facts doesn’t mean you know the truth.

5. If you know, God is with you, and for you, you can trust His favor to prosper you.

Despite the circumstances that seemingly kept working against Joseph, God was with him. The Bible is clear on this matter. The LORD was with him (39:3, 21, & 23). God’s favor was on this young man as divine destiny pulled him along.

Nothing, and no one was able to derail God’s sovereign plan to use him and save many people. God would ultimately use every ungodly ordeal he encountered to shape his character and form his servant-leadership skillset. God would eventually fulfill the dreams He gave him, too.

Perhaps you’ve seen too many days or consecutive weeks of troublesome times. Maybe, like Joseph, you’ve been lied about, betrayed, and or thrown away by your family. Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do, even though everyone else says you look guilty?

The enemy of your soul wants you to always play the victim and stay stuck in the past tense, pointing judgmental fingers at those who did you wrong. That’s not God’s path to biblical prosperity for you.

Christian, God sees you. God knows what you’ve done and what you didn’t do. And God is with you! Keep your mindset as a servant of God, and let Him work through you. Live and serve Him from the perspective of a victory that’s already yours.

A new season is approaching, but your effectiveness there depends on how well you handle this season here.

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I’m a pastor, and I wrote this for Christians. If you’re not a Christian, I’d like to help you become one altogether. If you’re not a practicing Christian, friend, it’s time to get right and come home. So, if you have any doubt about the state of your soul and you want to be certain of your salvation, click here and let me help. I’d like to explain what it means to be a Christian.