BOUNCING BACK
The term bouncing back comes from having suffered through something but not letting it stop you from continuing on. When a boxer has an undefeated streak then suffers his first loss it can be devastating. He's no longer invincible. How will he handle it? Some come back and go on to have a great career.
Teams can bounce back after a crushing defeat. Some consider the 85 Chicago Bears to be the best team ever. Were they undefeated? No. They had one loss. The 12-0 Bears went to Miami to face the Dolphins. The Bears hadn't just been winning, they were dominating their opponents with one of the best defenses in the history of football.
What happened in Miami? They lost 38 to 24. They gave up 31 points in the first half-something the Bears hadn't done in 13 years. Linebacker Mike Singletary said, "Needless to say, there was something different about that game, and there were things that happened that night that were really strange. I mean balls ricocheting off guys heads and flying into receivers hands. You couldn't buy a break, it was like a nightmare, when something is happening and you’re in the middle of it, and you’re thinking this can’t be happening, please let this be a dream."
What did they do as a result of this deflating loss? The next day, the Bears recorded their music video, The Super Bowl Shuffle! How's that for bouncing back? And, they finished the season by beating their last three opponents by a combined score of 73-33. And their playoff run? They shut out the Giants 21-0 and the Rams 24-0. And in the Super Bowl they crushed the Patriots 46-10. I'd say the Bears bounced back pretty well that year.
What about those in the bible? What are the bounce back stories in the pages of scripture? One of the best is Job's story. He lost practically everything in a short period of time: all his children and his livelihood. He himself became afflicted with sores and boils. He lost the desire to go on. In Job 3:1 he cursed the day he was born. He went on to say in vs. 11 he wished he had been stillborn.
If anyone ever hit bottom in their life it was Job. He was basically all alone; his friends were no help. His wife undoubtedly tried her best but she was distraught in her own right. But Job kept going. And in the end, he persevered and God blessed him with more than he had before. He still would grieve the loss of his kids but his life wasn't over. Job bounced back.
There are many great bounce back stories in the bible. Today we'll look at the example of Joseph, son of Jacob.
1) For Sale: one brother.
Our story starts in Gen. 37 with the 17 year old Joseph. Jacob had 12 sons but Joseph was a favorite because he was his beloved wife Rachel's firstborn. Jacob made Joseph a richly ornamented robe. His brothers hated him because they knew how their father felt. Joseph told his brothers about a dream he had that signified his brothers would bow down to him. That didn't set too well with them. After another similar dream their hatred of Joseph only increased.
One day, Jacob sent Joseph to go see how his brothers were doing tending the flocks. When they saw Joseph approaching they plotted to kill him. Reuben was the only one who stood up for Joseph. He convinced them to spare his life. So they threw Joseph into an empty cistern while they decided what to do. While Reuben was away the brothers sold Joseph to some Ishmaelites who were on their way to Egypt. Then they killed a goat, put some of the blood on Joseph's robe and told Jacob they found it like that.
So Joseph is away from his home, away from his family, living as a slave in a foreign land. That's a lot for a 17 year old to have to take in and deal with. Did you have anything tragic happen to you at a young age? What has helped you to bounce back from it? While in Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. How would Joseph deal with everything that happened to him? Was he adapting to his new surroundings? Was he able to bounce back?
Gen. 39:2-6a, "The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate."
Joseph prospered because the Lord was with him and because he chose to make the best out of his situation. He had success and he made an impact on Potiphar and others because he wasn't going to allow his hardship to ruin his life. Maybe you're not where you want to be. Whether it's a living situation, job, relationship status, whatever. You're asking God to change it but it hasn't happened yet.
My question is, are you just waiting for your situation to change or are you making the most of it while you're in it? Part of being able to bounce back is being willing to do your best where you're at right now. Joseph bounced back and was doing well but he would soon be facing another hardship.
2) Falsely accused.
Gen. 39:6b-12, "Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house."
We have to admire Joseph's actions. He's a young man who has an attractive woman making her intentions very clear; again and again. She probably made herself more enticing as time went on to the point of approaching him in the nude. This would be a lot for a young man to continually resist.
But we see that his desire for the spiritual overrode his desire for the flesh. His desire to please God won out over his desire to please himself. If we are going to be able to bounce back our desire for God's will has to win out over the desire for our own will. What happened next?
Gen. 39:13-20a, "When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined."
We see Potiphar's wife didn't accept Joseph's rejection very gracefully. Her scorn led to a false accusation. And even though Potiphar had found favor with Joseph, he believed his wife and threw him in jail. Have you ever been falsely accused of something? [my story. Arrested/put in jail. Shared the gospel. Trial/verdict.] I was spared but Joseph wasn't.
If I was Joseph I'd be like, "God, I've been faithful to you even though I was sold into slavery. Then I honored you and resisted temptation. Now I've been falsely accused and thrown into prison. I don't understand? I've been making a godly impression on people and now they think I tried to rape Potiphar's wife! That undermines everything that's been accomplished. Why would you do that?"
It makes sense how Joseph could be frustrated and confused at this point. Joseph being able to bounce back the first time was good but I don't know if he'll be able to bounce back again.
Vs. 20b-23, "But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did."
Wow! Joseph passed another test. He kept the same attitude and integrity he had when he first found himself in Egypt. The Lord was with him and he bounced back. Vs. 21 says the Lord showed him kindness. I'm thinking, 'where was the kindness when Potiphar's wife was telling her lies?' But God used Joseph in prison. He made an impression on the warden and those who were there with him.
We might think if we honor the Lord and do the right thing we will escape hardships. Hardships are for those who do wrong. They're punishment to correct bad behavior. That's true sometimes, but in the cases of people like Job and Joseph and especially Jesus, we see that God allows hardship to come to those who are doing the right thing.
The question is, how will we deal with it when it happens; especially multiple times? 'Alright, Lord, enough is enough; I can't do this again'. It's interesting how we think we know how much we can deal with until we are faced with it and we find ourselves surprised by what we're actually capable of. That's a good thing; it helps our faith; it strengthens our spirit.
Part of bouncing back is seeing we have what it takes to bounce back from hardships again and again. We have the same Lord with us as Joseph had with him. If Joseph can bounce back from being sold into slavery, and being falsely accused and thrown in jail, then we can bounce back from all our situations.
But Joseph's testing wasn't over. Some time later, the cupbearer and baker offended the king and were put in prison with Joseph. Each of them had a dream that troubled them. Joseph noticed their faces were downcast so he asked them what was wrong. They each told their dream and Joseph interpreted it. The cupbearer was going to be restored to his position but the baker wasn't.
Joseph told the cupbearer to remember him when he was restored to his position. He wanted him to put in a good word for him to Pharaoh so he could finally get out of there, since he was an innocent man. But, the cupbearer forgot about Joseph and he stayed in prison for two more years.
I don't know if Joseph got his hopes up or not but I believe I would. I'd be thinking that the cupbearer was my ticket out. I would finally be vindicated and restored to my position. But I'm sure it didn't take long before he realized there would be no rescue anytime soon.
But then, Pharaoh had a dream and that's when the cupbearer remembered Joseph. He's like, "Oh, yeah, that reminds me, there's this guy named Joseph that can interpret dreams." So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, saying, "I heard you can interpret dreams." Joseph responded by saying, "I can't, but God can". After all Joseph had been through, he made sure that God got the glory. Part of being able to bounce back is to keep honoring God in everything we do. No matter what, he deserves all praise and glory.
So Joseph interpreted the dream, clarifying there was going to be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph's advice was to store as much away as possible for the first seven years so there would be enough to last for the next seven. Plus, people from other lands would need to come and buy grain from Egypt. Pharaoh was so impressed he made Joseph the #2 guy in all of Egypt.
Every time Joseph got knocked down he got up and continued to shine. And part of the impression he made on those around him could very well have been how resilient he was despite what he had to deal with. When we bounce back and people see us deal with hardships in a godly way it makes an impression.
3) Reunited.
The stage was set for Joseph and his family to be reunited. Joseph's brothers were sent to Egypt to get grain during the famine. When they got there they had to deal with Joseph. But they didn't recognize Joseph. It had been a number of years since they last saw him and with Joseph living as an Egyptian, his appearance was much different. Joseph recognized them, though. At first, he didn't reveal his identity. But, after a series of events, Joseph keep the secret any longer.
Gen. 45:1-8, "Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!
And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt."
Naturally, the brothers were terrified that Joseph would now get his revenge. Instead, he says to them, "come close to me", which was a sign of acceptance. Then Joseph reassures and comforts them; telling them to not be distressed and don't be angry with yourselves over it. Joseph could've easily had nothing but hatred and animosity over what they did to him. He could've ordered them all to be killed on the spot. Instead, he displayed love and forgiveness.
Part of bouncing back has to do with things like love, mercy and forgiveness. When we harbor bitterness and animosity toward those who have wronged us we are not going to be able to bounce back. Instead, we'll stay stuck in the pit of anger and vengeance.
I'm sure whenever the memories of what his brothers did to him and the hardships that followed came back to Joseph he got upset. But he didn't stay there; otherwise he wouldn't have prospered in each of these situations. He would've sulked, fought with people, defied authority; all of which would've made his troubled situation worse.
When we choose to not honor God and make the most of the situation we're in, we make it worse with our negative attitude and behavior. Joseph had a choice in the hardships he faced; he chose to continue to follow God despite his circumstances. And because of that, he was able to bounce back and eventually be reunited with his family.
What do you take away from Joseph's story? How might it help you to be able to bounce back from whatever you're facing now or later on? Be encouraged by knowing that with the Lord you can bounce back from anything.
