6.1 Assignment: Devotional- The Good Builder – Part 6
Getting Started
The dreamer’s dreams do come true, but not likely in a way that Joseph ever imagined. What must have Joseph thought about his dreams when he was in the bottom of the pit, or bound in chains walking behind the trader’s caravan, or sold as a house servant, or stuck in a prison? Those early dreams likely seemed distant and irrelevant now. But in a moment, things change and the time of preparation gives way to a season of good building.
During this devotional reflection, you’ll consider the value of good planning and implementation.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
· Recognize strong leadership skills through leaders in the Bible.
Background Information
Read or listen(new tab) to Genesis 41:14 through 42:6(new tab) .
The brash teenager had become a wise young man. God used years of preparation and development in unexpected circumstances to help Joseph hone the humility and strategic intelligence to oversee one of the largest building projects recorded in scripture.
After interpreting the dream for Pharaoh, Joseph is made second in command and given the task of preparing the country for a coming famine. Did you note all the building facilities and events planning Joseph had to undertake? He built storage facilities in all the cities. He created the logistics to get the grain into those facilities. He would have had to plan the military and security approaches to protect that grain during the famine years. He would have designed the distribution processes. Likely, he did dozens of other things that would have been needed for the project to be a success. In the midst of the later famine, the wealth of Egypt will soar – because Joseph was a good builder.
And his brothers – they bow.
While there is much, much more to the story than what you have read (you may want to read the remainder of chapter 42 through chapter 50 of Genesis), Joseph’s family is caught up in the famine. They come to Egypt to buy grain. Although they don’t recognize him at first, they bow before Joseph, hoping to win his favor and secure the food that they need to survive. Joseph could have been vindictive, taking revenge for what the brothers did to him. However, Joseph understood how God had prepared him for this moment and that his power was not so much over his brothers as for his family – to protect them and help them. That idea brings us right back to how the devotional series started. Dominion over the earth is not to abuse it. Leadership authority is not about dominance. Leadership is an act of service. People and their well-being is the point. Whatever we build, the Christian worldview is clear… people are the center. Power is with and for not over. We don’t build for our own name. Rather, we are prepared and developed to build for the name of God. The good builder’s purpose is the glory of God… and the good of people.
After you have read the passage, consider the following prompts:
1. In your life and leadership, what are some of the projects (events, construction, development, mentoring, teams, tasks, initiatives) you have accomplished? Looking back, how were you prepared for those opportunities? What were your reasons for pursing those opportunities? Did you prioritize the glory of God and the good of people in those activities?
2. As you look to the future, what can you do to be sure that the glory of God and the good of people are key components for whatever you might build?
3. If you have a perspective different from a Christian worldview, what does that perspective suggest about glory and good?
4. What are the implications and connections to organizational behavior themes?
Instructions
1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. Review Genesis 41:14 through 42:6(new tab) and prompts provided in the Getting Started and Background sections.
3. Ace my homework – Write a one-half to one-page reflection paper (Word document; @250 words double-spaced = one page) that shares your thoughts/perspectives on the themes of this devotional and submit it using the Assignment submission page by the end of the workshop week. Be sure to apply Ace homework tutors – APA formatting guidelines.
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6.1 Assignment: The Good Builder – Part 6 Devotional
Getting Going
Dreams do come true, but not in the way that Joseph could have imagined. What must Joseph have thought about his dreams while he was at the bottom of the pit, chained and walking behind the trader’s caravan, sold as a house servant, or imprisoned? Those early dreams may have seemed distant and irrelevant at the time. But everything changes in an instant, and the season of preparation gives way to the season of good building.
During this devotional reflection, you will consider the importance of proper planning and execution.
After completing this assignment successfully, you will be able to:
Recognize strong leadership qualities in biblical leaders.
Background
