Prison as prep

You’re not supposed to like your prison, whether literal or not.  Joseph didn’t look back on his prison years with fond memories! Those years were simply preparing him for his leadership role.  Ugly as they were, they were part of God's plan for Joseph's life.  Yes, God's plan - not his brothers'.  His brothers' actions caused Joseph's imprisonment, but they weren't the authors of it, though they liked to think they were.  They were unwitting pawns in God's greater plan for Joseph's dream coming true.  

As Christians, we are taught to make disciples of men. However, this is not the case in every season. Yes, we should always be a light for Jesus in every season. But during our “prison” seasons, the Lord is about doing more of a work in us than around us, preparing us for the next chapter that He has for us.

If you want a comfortable life, don't follow Jesus.

He will take you to unchartered territory that you never planned on or asked for.  The Bible is loaded with these sorts of scenarios.  As God's people, we are not of this world - the world knows it and hates us for it.

We're marching to the tune of a very different Drummer - our Lord Jesus Christ.

Where He leads, we follow: into the darkest dungeon if that's His will for us, into an unwelcoming group or place in order to carry out His purposes, into long seasons where it feels like we're in a prison, though not literal.  

There is always wriggle room in Jesus' plan.  Jonah tried to escape God's mission for him and ended up being swallowed by a huge fish.  Go figure.  Jonah came to his senses and ended up carrying out God's plan for him, but it took being cast overboard into the sea and sitting in the belly of a whale for three days to wake him up!

What does it take for you?  Does God have to go to extreme measures in order to get your attention?  Or do you willingly follow His lead no matter what?  Jonah is our cautionary tale.

When we obey God, stuff happens.  All of the results of our obedience will not be seen this side of eternity.  Sorry, but there is no "counter" for God's "likes," followers, and "shares."  Oh He's keeping track, you can be sure of that.  But we don't see it.  

So if you are "results oriented" and a follower of Christ, I pity you.  Why?  Because only God knows people's hearts.  So all of those "followers" you may or may not have on social media - only God knows who's who and how He is using you for His purposes.  My point?  Don't get either too excited or too disappointed by social media "counters" that you see.  Put no stock in them.  Keep looking to Christ - He's got it all under His control.  

Jesus wasn't all that popular when He walked this earth.  Most people either were out to get rid of Him, or only wanted Him for what He could do for them, or they were curiosity seekers.  And the ones He chose to be His own were usually bumbling about, not really "getting" what He was trying to teach them, vying for position, and such.  Oy.

Don't be concerned at all with your "influence."  Most "influencers" out there?  Marketing geniuses and not much more, usually.  If anyone or anything else other than Christ is influencing you, beware.

When you let Christ influence you, get ready to be hated, mocked, disrespected, misunderstood - just as His first disciples were after He went to be with His Father.  They finally got it!  And in the end, virtually all of them were martyred for following Christ.  

Some of them ended up in jail at times.  And there they sat, praising God!  

Do we praise God in our unwanted circumstances?  Or are we still pining after what the world has to offer? Or are we complaining? Remember, when we belong to Christ, His agenda is unlike ours or any that belong in this world.  His Kingdom is not of this world and we live in this world! 

Jesus isn't there to make your dreams come true, as some would preach.  We are here for Him.  We are here to carry out His will, His commands, in His way and in His time.  Marching orders!  That's what we're here for.

We step out in faith and stuff happens - not all of it deemed good.  Yet we step out anyway if that's what He's calling us to do!

When He does release us from our "prison" years - our years of preparation, trials, and testing - we will be ready because He has readied us.  And only He knows the best "release" date for us.

Those who haven't gone through a season of trials, testing, and such?  If they haven't been broken by God yet, whatever they're up to, I doubt they are bearing any real, lasting fruit.  It just doesn't work that way in God's Kingdom.  I didn't write the rules, God did!

If you've read any of my other blogs, you know I'm a huge proponent of this life not being the end all.  However many years or seasons we suffer for Christ this side of heaven, they are but a grain of sand in the eternal hourglass.  We have all eternity to live!  And if you belong to Jesus, there are no more prisons where we are going!  Alleluia!  

So don't run from God's "prison" that He has assigned to you for a season.  Have faith that you will be set free eventually!  Keep your eyes on Him.  Keep giving thanks.  Keep trusting Him.  He always knows exactly what He is doing!

Dear Lord.  We live in a world that deems success, fame, and riches the meaning of life.  But that couldn't be farther from the truth.  We are here for Your glory.  We are here to honor You, know You, and follow You.  Thank You for being in absolute control over our circumstances - even those which seem unfair or unjust.  For Your plans for us far exceed anything we can see with our natural eyes.  Help us to trust You always, dear Lord.  Help us to learn whatever You are trying to teach us in the prisons of life.  And help us be fully ready for Your next chapter for us!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.