Living the Christian Lifestyle: Practical Tips from the Story of Joseph

Introduction

The real Christian lifestyle is lived outside the four corners of the church.

As ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we must exhibit our Christ-likeness wherever we go and in the way we treat others. It is not enough to attend all the prayer meetings, cast out demons, and have all the versions of the Bible on your phone if you cannot take Christ to your workplace.

You cannot be a Christian only on Sundays and then behave like an unbeliever on other days. The salt and light in you must manifest everywhere you go.

Genesis 39:6-9 (NKJV) says:

“Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?””

Joseph was captured by his brothers, sold into slavery, and ended up in Egypt in the house of Potiphar. From this story, we can learn two practical tips to take our ‘anointing’ to the marketplace.

1. PRODUCTIVITY: Our Faith Must Be Seen in Our Hard Work and Diligence

The foremost thing we notice about the life of Joseph is that his anointing or belief in Yahweh was clearly demonstrated in his hard work and diligence, leading to his promotion to manage the entire estate of his master Potiphar. Even though he was working among unbelievers, he was promoted because of his hard work.

Many Christians today talk about how their God can do all things but remain stagnant in their organizations. They talk but don’t match their confessions with hard work and diligence to surpass their counterparts who may consult occultic powers to rise on the corporate ladder. Like Moses in the court of Pharaoh, we must let our God be seen in our lives instead of only talking about Him. By doing this, we take our anointing everywhere we go.

2. MORALITY: Our Faith Must Be Seen in Our Moral and Ethical Choices

The second important thing we see about the life of Joseph is that when Mrs. Potiphar tried to lure him into sin because of his handsomeness, he simply refused. Ultimately, Joseph’s moral lifestyle showed accountability to God and then to man. He did not do what Mrs. Potiphar wanted because he feared God.

If we fear God, we will make choices in line with His word. We will live to please Him at every opportunity. Some believers work hard and get promoted but fall to moral sins that bring them down. If Joseph had succumbed to the sin, he would have been a byword in biblical history. We must uphold biblical morality and ethical conduct in everything we do at work so that we can manifest the anointing in us.

Conclusion

From this teaching, it is clear that Joseph teaches us to use our grace to work hard and be diligent, as well as to make moral and ethical choices. If we struggle with any of these, we must examine our lives and ask God for help to recalibrate.

What have you learned from this write-up? Share with us so we can learn from you.

Eric Otchere is committed to declaring the whole counsel of God to help believers grow in grace. Connect with him via info@livingourbible.com.