Living In A Strange Land Series

Life is often complicated. You might find yourself in a pressure-packed work environment. Political choices can be complicated and difficult. Cultural pressures on families can challenge godly principles. Community organizations may compete for time and commitment with church activities.

Don’t be too easily influenced! Don’t lose who you are.

I know a young woman who found herself in a complicated environment. It was the height of the home finance bubble, when companies were offering all kinds of predatory loans: sub-prime, interest-only, refinancing portrayed as free money for a vacation. She took a sales job with one of the biggest companies in the industry. Immediately it became clear to her that she would have to define her ethical standards. She also understood that if she held to high ethical standards, she would have to excel in her work.

When the financial crisis hit in 2008, the company crashed, and she lost her job. Yet today, on her LinkedIn page, you can find this statement from her boss: “R. was a tremendous asset for both myself and my entire operation. She brings a unique skill set to any organization by having a very pleasant and friendly demeanor with a fiery competitive edge…She proved that being nice in a highly competitive industry doesn’t mean you can’t perform at a high level.”

Don’t be too easily influenced.

-DON’T BE TOO EASILY SATISFIED

The hottest course at Yale University in 2018 was a psychology course. 1200 students, almost a quarter of undergraduates, signed up for Psychology and the Good Life. People want to be happy and fulfilled; they want to live a good life, and a meaningful life.

A good life extends beyond death, and the ultimate goal for a person in Egypt was to be mummified, and to have one’s tomb well-stocked with food and bling for life after death! (You can project a picture of a mummified Egyptian body here, perhaps with items buried with the corpse.)

Joseph could have had an elaborate Egyptian burial, and his mummy could possibly be in a museum today. Joseph could have arranged a similar burial for his father, Jacob. Jacob was not interested.

Read Genesis 47:28-31. Jacob’s hope was not in Egypt, and not in his remains being preserved. He wanted to be buried in Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac were buried. It was more than sentimentality; God had made covenant promises to Abraham, to be passed on to Isaac, and then to Jacob, and then to his descendants. His hope was in God’s promises.

Joseph felt the same way. Read Genesis 50:24-26. Joseph had all of the power and prestige that Egypt could offer, but his ultimate trust was in God and his promises!

God’s people are not satisfied by what the world offers. They are focused on what God offers. As the book of Hebrews says about the Old Testament heroes of faith,

Hebrews 11:13-16 “All these people were…admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own….they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”