How to Handle a Blessing

It can be difficult to receive from the Lord and stay  humble.

Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,
because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented
robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them,
they hated him [Joseph] and could not speak a kind word to him. Joseph had a dream,
and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them,
Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when
suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered
around mine and bowed down to it.”

Genesis 37:3-7

Jacob, also called Israel, had many sons, but he didn’t love them equally. Do you think it helped family unity when he expressed it? This is the story of how a dad’s preferences led to some very unhealthy family dynamics. There is some humor in this story as you think about sibling rivalries.

Can you imagine the youngest brother going up to his older brothers and telling them that they are going to be bowing down to him? Are they going to think that this is a fantastic idea? God’s favor was on Jacob in his old age and Joseph from an early age in life, but neither of them knew how to handle blessings and success.

Abundant grace is so desirable, but it can also lead to a new set of decisions. Success can bring unexpected challenges that fly under your radar, and God’s favor and grace can be mishandled. It can be difficult to receive from the Lord and stay humble. Ironically, your success can potentially become a stumbling block in your faith. Has success been easy for you to handle? Recognizing that God is the giver of every good thing in your life will help protect your humility. Your health, motivation, ability, and opportunities are truly from His hand.

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Excerpt republished with permission from Rooted in Grace by Jesse Bradley c. 2012