Everyone seems to talk about God's BIG PLAN for their lives.  What do I want to be when I grow up?  Is God calling me to be a missionary?  Should I go into full time ministry? When focusing on these BIG questions we often overlook the little questions.  What lesson will I learn today?  How can I trust God more?

We've finished a months-long study of Joseph and thanks to the gift of being able to know the end of the story, we can see God's BIG PLAN in saving the fledgling nation (just a large family at this point) of Israel.  God set Joseph up to eventually be the head-honcho of Egypt, gave him wisdom to interpret Pharaoh's dream, and manage the bountiful harvests for seven years to last out seven years of famine.  That's a pretty BIG PLAN.

But what about all the little steps along the way? 

I think it's safe to assume that Joseph didn't speak much - if any - Egyptian before being sold into slavery.  While in Potiphar's  house, Joseph must have studied Egyptian to become quite fluent, along with learning to run a household - and not a small household, either.  Balancing the books, managing other servants, and all the other duties required a lot of study for Joseph.

In prison, Joesph again is set in charge and again I am sure this was a bigger job than we imagine.  I imagine this prison to be the Egyptian version of Club Fed - where political prisoners are kept until Pharaoh could figure out what to do with them.  We only learn about two but I am sure there were many, many more prisoners in this prison. Joseph must have learned some basic skills while still in his father's house but nothing that would completely prepare him for these tasks.

I'm left with the conclusion that God placed Joseph in these situations not to teach him humility, although we can all do with a bit more humility.  God was not teaching Joseph to be a suffering saint and like it.  We don't have any indication that Joseph complained or anything other than when he says to the butler, "But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into this dungeon."  Not exactly a pity-party, is it?

During all of Joesph's hardships - slavery, prison - he keeps his focus and manages to not just survive but to thrive and prosper to the best of his abilities.

Makes me wonder about all those folks today that keep saying "I hate my job. Life stinks and is so unfair."

Are we wasting time feeling sorry for ourselves?  Do we just do enough to get by?  Do we escape into fantasy, saying "If only I were as rich as Donald Trump. If only I were as lucky as Bill Gates."  As if these two, and any other successful individual, just had money and power and other goodies given to them in their Christmas stockings without ever lifting a finger.  Yes, Bill Gates was at the right place and the right time in history to sell what became a very successful operating system used worldwide. But that wasn't given to him. He worked, and did his sales pitches, and beat out the competition to use the opportunity.  Donald Trump has risen, fallen, and risen again with his fortunes.  Just because we know the end of the story doesn't mean it was easy for the main character.

So what about a poor, working individual like me?  Perhaps I won't code the next BIG THING or build a big tower in the city. But am I squandering the opportunities I have in front of me by wishing for easy success?

Example:  I drive three hours a day commuting to work and back home.  I can sit in my car, fuss at the other drivers and generally feel sorry for myself.  Or I can use that time by listening to audio books like the Bible, listen to great preaching (plug: SermonAudio.com ), or learn another language.   When I'm at work I can complain about my job or my boss to coworkers or I can talk about Jesus and be a positive influence. Will God find me faithful in the little tasks He has given me or will He find someone else to use?

Joseph was a slave for years and in prison for more.  Do we have the patience to wait out three more months of a job that may not be great?  And beyond that patience, do we have the desire to please God so that we do more than just "tough it out" and instead run with the opportunity?

To make this year better than the last, I want to stop complaining.  In reality, aren't all complaints against God? Who am I to say that my situation isn't right and that God made a mistake?