Title Genesis 41:25-45 Crisis Coping Ability
Contents Genesis 41:25~45
On the 6th, precious lives were lost in the Imjin River disaster. Once again, we are terrified of North Korea's irresponsibility, but it turns out that the government's poor response system has also contributed to the fatal cause.
Facing such unpredictable crises can be frustrating for organizations and individuals alike. In particular, we deal with crises caused by our own mistakes and errors because it is predictable to some extent, but it is not easy to cope with crises that occur regardless of us like the Imjin River disaster.
According to psychologist Erikson, crises can be broadly divided into 'developmental crises' and 'situational crises'. A 'developmental crisis' is a crisis that occurs at an expected time during our lifetime, such as the first day of school, puberty, marriage, middle age, and retirement. Most of these crises resolve on their own when you learn to adjust to a new stage in your life. Situational crises include, for example, sudden loss of position, property, job, or health. These things are extremely frightening to the person involved and cause confusion as to what to do and how to do it.
Joseph, the main character of today's text, was sold into slavery by his brothers and not by anyone else, and instead of committing a crime in Potiphar's house, he went to prison. It was a series of crises. However, Joseph does not give in to those crises and eventually becomes a representative model who knows how to turn crises into opportunities. In particular, the scene of saving countless lives by predicting the crisis of the 7-year drought that no one expected and suggesting countermeasures against the crisis shows the beauty of the Christian's ability to cope with crisis. It is inevitable that a person with such crisis coping ability should be appointed as a leader. So Pharaoh appointed Joseph as prime minister of Egypt.
So, where did this amazing ability to turn crises into opportunities come from? This is evident in Pharaoh's confession. In verse 38, Pharaoh acknowledges that Joseph was 'a man moved by the Spirit of God' and confesses that Joseph had 'comprehension and wisdom' that cannot be compared with anyone else. Here's the answer. The way we can acquire crisis coping capabilities is presented.
It was because Joseph was a man of God and a man of the Holy Spirit that he was able to have the ability to cope with crises that could not be found in the land of Egypt. It is because he stayed in an unpredictable crisis for the first half of his life, but he continued to walk with God and was supplied with the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why, even in times of crisis, we were able to cope with the crisis by demonstrating our 'comprehension and wisdom'.
In the end, through the crisis management ability of one Joseph, many people were able to overcome the crisis of drought for a long period of time, and the amazing history of saving the lives of his distant family also took place.
In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become a believer who has the understanding and wisdom to foresee and cope with the crises of my faith, my family, my church, and my country.