Have you heard a version of Anything worthwhile is worth fighting for. Worth waiting for?

I know that’s not a happy thought that success comes via blood, sweat and tears, but it seems especially necessary to say that today. The media would have us believe that we “deserve” success. When we get a college degree, we “deserve” a job. And not just a job, but a job starting at the top. Because we are “qualified”, right? Isn’t that the way it works? Or maybe we believe that when we start our own business, the clients/customers will flock to us. Because we did the right things, so of course we will realize our dreams complete and full…immediately. Right? That when we do the right thing, all falls into place. Blog posts tell us that. Facebook and Twitter posts all claim that if we buy their program, we will get skinny, we will grow new hair on that bald spot, and we will be able to run a marathon if we eat the right energy bar. That’s what we hear from all forms of media. But…is it true???

My inspiration today is the story of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph had a dream. Have you had a dream? Are you continuing to pursue it, or did you quit when it got hard or took too long?

You know the story. Joseph was his Dad’s favorite. And his brothers knew that. It was way too obvious. So, when they got a chance, they got even. Not with the Dad who chose him as favorite, but with Joseph. They tried to eliminate their problem. They wanted him out of the way. The only problem was, even though the Dad thought Joseph was dead, Joseph was STILL his favorite. The empty space at the table was NOT occupied by another. His Dad’s heart was very sad. And none of the other sons became the favorite in his place. So what did they accomplish by taking matters into their own hands?

What about Joseph? At the hands of his brothers, Joseph suffered bullying, abuse, betrayal and great loss; and at the hands of others, he suffered slavery.

He waited. (What else could he do under the circumstances?) But somehow, Joseph never seemed to see himself as “under the circumstances”. He believed in a BIG GOD. THE big God!

Then, he began to find the Favor of the Lord. And he kept his integrity. He faithfully walked honorably, even when tempted to take the lower road to destruction.

He took the higher road to the Favor of God. Those appointed to keep him in line saw clearly God’s favor or him and they appointed him to positions of leadership. And they indirectly received God’s Favor through Joseph. But betrayals and disappointments continued. And he remained a man of integrity. No matter how much power he was given, he remained a man of God. A man faithful to the Lord’s ways.

And the final outcome? Remember his outrageous dream that his brothers hated him for? Hated him enough to try to get rid of him forever…

Well, that dream came true and they literally owed their lives to him…the one they had sought to destroy was later their rescuer.

Blood, sweat and tears…walking that faithful life with our eyes on the Lord of the blood, sweat and tears…not giving up…but going forward…one step at a time. Little by little. Trusting the God of the outcome.  A heart on fire for Him.

Now THAT is “success”! That is God’s definition of “success” and that is where the joy lies. Peace that passes understanding. Don’t quit. Press on. Press through. Keep looking up to the Creator of real success…via blood, sweat and tears!

Easy? No! But ask Joseph someday: “Was it worth it?” And I have a feeling he will shout out, “Yes! Undoubtedly, YES!”

Do you have a dream you haven’t yet followed through on?

You might already know that the story is about the (Prodigal) son that asked for a share of the inheritance so he could leave home and do his own thing. He was granted his requests. He had a good time for awhile…until his money ran out, that is. Which meant that his friends ran out about the same time. And then he found a job slopping pigs. He was so hungry that the pig slop began to look pretty good. That’s when he decided he had to do something to take control of the situation.

Eureka! He got an idea!

We find him reasoning to himself that he will go back home and negotiate a deal with his father. He will tell his father that he is no longer worthy to be called his son. (Sounds humble, huh? Sounds like he learned his lesson, right? ) And he decides the best part about his brilliant plan is that he will plead with his father to make him one of the father’s hired servants.

Sounds good. But is it really? Deal or no deal? Pride or humility? Wisdom or Arrogance? What are the makings of a “real man” (or woman) of God?

There were at least three kinds of servants in those days:
1. Day Workers. They were paid on a day-to-day basis (no job security).
2. Hired Servants. They worked long hours on the estate, but lived in town (with their independence intact).
3. Bond Servants: They lived on the estate and worked very hard (job security, but no independence).

After all of his arrogance and foolishness and loss, when the prodigal was planning to return home, we see that he continued to want control of his own “hard-earned” money and to live apart from his father and keep his independence as well. He wanted to be a hired servant.

So, do we find a surrendered, humble man that has learned from his mistakes or do we find someone that looks a lot like US when we approach the throne of God the Father to make requests of Him in prayer??? Are we really saying, “I’ll serve you, but I still want my freedom to decide how that will actually play out”.

This story is often called the story of the Prodigal (or Lost) Son, and yet it is also the story of the Loving Father. (For some of you, this story will be a sad thing because you have never known what it felt like to be truly loved by a Father. And for you, this is an especially important thing to understand: it is an excellent illustration of the way our Heavenly Father is with us.) (Be sure to read the whole story in Luke 15). In this story, do you see that the Father never let the son tell him his plan? All the son got to say was that he was not worthy. The Father took it from there and gave the son much more than he ever had thought or imagined. Our Heavenly Father is just like that! (A word of caution: We can’t expect a shower of material things, but it can be guaranteed that whatever He (God, the Father) chooses for us will most certainly be better in the long run than we ever could plan out in our own puny earth-bound brains.)

However, it is also important to mention that a prodigal attitude breaks the Father’s heart as He stands waiting for us to come back home. When we stray or get distracted from fellowshipping with Him, He waits with a longing for us…He wants to shower us with His love. He is sad because of all we miss by not trusting Him to take good care of us. Dig deeply into the reading of His Word (the Bible). He is waiting there for you. He wants you to get to know Him. He has carefully chosen each word…to bless you!