Success Should Not be Measured by Wealth or Rank

Hello readers! In our last entry, we discussed how Joseph used his adverse circumstances and changed them into opportunities for success. Today, we are going to talk a bit more about his success, and how we should measure success in life.

DECONSTRUCTING SUCCESS
The Bible tells us about the rank and power Joseph was given in Egypt.

"So Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.' The Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a goal chain around his neck."
– Genesis 41:41-42

It goes on to say that Pharaoh declared no one would “lift hand or foot in Egypt” without Joseph’s command. This is the kind of power God destined Joseph for. If you think about it, this is the achievement of a boy who was thrown into a well to die, sold in the market of Egypt as a slave, convicted over false accusations of a lustful woman, and imprisoned for many years to be punished for a crime he did not commit. Pharaoh’s second in command (Joseph) was in fact a former slave, not Egyptian in origin, an ex-convict, and had no formal education in the land he ruled. How do we explain that?

The kind of success Joseph achieved was unprecedented and is still a marvel for students of social sciences. However, if you examine his life closely, you get to see the actual ingredients of his success. As a true leader, Joseph lived successfully even when he had no rank or wealth, when he was a slave, and even when he spent years in jail. This is because, like a leader in word, spirit, and deed, he chose to rise above his pain, misery, loss, and disadvantage. He chose to disregard these things he had no control over and worked on things he could do.

WHAT DID JOSEPH CHOOSE INSTEAD?
Joseph chose to be humble and he chose to serve. He chose to accept the challenges he came across and he chose to learn from the new world around him. He chose to be fair and kind. He chose to serve the people and duties he was given charge of, and he showed he was an excellent manager of affairs as well as people.

The story of Joseph shows us that success is more of an attitude than it is an achievement. Those who choose to rise up after they fall again and again, never giving up, are successful in the long run. Interestingly, while Joseph received all it –  wealth, rank, respect, love - he did not appear to be working for any of those prizes. As a true leader, he was simply trying to do the best with his circumstances. He served his Egyptian master honestly. He served and managed the prison with character and wisdom. He served a nation he did not belong to when he became their chosen leader because he saw it as his duty to help them with the coming famine. Joseph’s story shows us we should measure a man’s success by his attitude to life and his response to things that are not in his control.