leadership

Leadership was my theme at the lunchtime service today.

Over the weeks at these services we've been looking at the story of Joseph (the multi-coloured-coat one, rather than the one who features on Christmas cards).

He was a leader. Plainly so. He knew from quite an early age, his awkward teenage years, that this was what his destiny under God would be.

Which made him a pain in the neck to start with. Too full of himself.

We got to the bit today where he ends up in prison in Egypt. Falsely accused of raping his master's wife.

It can't have been that much fun. Not where he'd really have chosen to serve his God and exercise the leadership to which he had been called.

But most of the time we none of us get that choice. As in where God calls us to serve.

It didn't seem to matter, though, just where you placed this guy. He ended up a leader.

Even in prison. Which was a sort of 'training ground' for leadership he'd exercise on a hugely larger canvas in the days to come.

He gets to take care of the other prisoners there. And he gets to take charge of the work of the prison, too. Pretty much like an elder in the church.

Which some people possibly think is a bit like being in a prison itself.

Wherever you placed this young Hebrew man, he showed he was a leader.

Not because he went out of his way to claim that sort of position for himself. But just because ... well, just because he was a leader. It was in his DNA sort of thing.

The sort of leadership qualities Joseph displayed, even there in prison, are the sort of leadership qualities always required.

The calling from God, for starters. Then service and patience and insight and wisdom. And doubtless a whole load more.

It's that sort of package I'm conscious of needing myself. Pretty much every day.

Today's been mainly a 'leadership' day. A day when a whole load of issues to do with our leading the people of God have been to the fore.

The warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison and he was made responsible for all that was done there (Gen.39.22).

That sometimes gets more than a little complex. All sorts of different problems to address.

There's the need for a lot of insight. And the need for a weight of wisdom.

A lot of situations which, if packaged up for posting, would be labelled simply 'Handle with care'.

As in a lot of care.

Most of the day I've been meeting with folk in connection with just such things. It takes up time. And not a little thought.

But the bottom line with Joseph was that, as 'a child' of Abraham (well, great-grand-child in point of fact - but the guy was descended from Abraham, that's the point), he was a man through whome the nations of the world would come to know God's blessing.

He was good to be around. He brought blessing wherever he went.

And that's how I have to see all the time and thought that's taken up in tackling all the issues that there are.

God's blessing is what's at stake.

The investment of time and energy down these lines is rightly made.