I've been in it, you've been in it, we've all experienced it before. Being in an unhealthy environment is sometimes inevitable in this corrupt world.
Toxicity and mistreatment come in so many forms that it can be hard to identify and even harder to acknowledge. We seem to either deny it and shove the idea away or we live in victimhood and depression. God doesn't want you to go through life doing either one of these.
Maybe, you feel like it's impossible for your situation to change. It's like your being stood on and held down, as my dog is doing to my brother. (She even has an evil look in her eyes.) On the other hand, you might be scared of change - what if it makes my life worse? Furthermore, you've had your situation change, but now your back in another bad environment.
The best thing to remember during these times is that God is right there with you and He isn't happy with how you're being treated. In fact, it makes Him sad. Our kind God though, has chosen not to control us like puppets, meaning that people can choose to sin and hurt others.
Secondly, God can use your toxic environments to do good things. He might be using you to reach someone else that's in the same situation or, if you are now out of it, it's part of the testimony you can share with others.
Third, keep praying and fighting for transformation. God would never want you to go along with or agree to being mistreated. He will show you how to keep battling. And, in due time, He will raise you up, whether here on earth or when He comes back.
When we desire a transformation of our situation, we should prime ourselves for how to battle against mistreatment in a God-honoring way and take on a faithful posture as we wait.
Joseph grew up as the favorite son of twelve brothers, which made them jealous. He proceeded to make it worse by telling them about his dreams. After a while, his brothers decided to throw him in a hole and leave him to die. However, they changed their minds and sold Joseph to some merchants traveling to Egypt. Upon arriving, Joseph was sold to a high-ranking official. While working for him, Joseph was elevated to be his attendant and given charge of his household. Unfortunately, Joseph was also sexually harassed by the man’s wife. Even though he stood strong in obeying God, he was falsely accused and imprisoned. In jail, Joseph was put in charge of the other inmates. He even interpreted, with God’s help, a couple of prisoners’ dreams. One of them was reinstated as Pharoah’s cupbearer. Joseph asked him if he’d help him be freed, but he forgot about Joseph. That’s until Pharoah became upset over his dreams, then the cupbearer told him about Joseph. When Joseph, through God’s power, was able to interpret the dreams and create a plan to help, Pharoah elevated him to his right-hand man.
Three ways to posture ourselves as we wait are: One, stand strong. Experiencing mistreatment can weaken us or create doubt. These are the times when Satan attacks. We must choose to stand strong in what we believe and are called to value. Two, serve others. Joseph could’ve told the two prisoners that he already had enough problems, but he knew, through God, he could help. Three, be patient. Joseph seemed to go from one bad situation to another, but he didn’t demand a thing from God. Likewise, God might be calling us to patiently honor Him through our hard times.
Here’s how we block transformation: Hold grudges – It’s hard to see the possibility of change when we’re stuck in the past. Doubt God’s plan – God’s plans for transformation are often different than what we expect. Reject conviction for inward change – Joseph went from a prideful tattle-tail to a forgiving brother, we all can change on something.
God’s Guidance:
Genesis 37:3-5 (NIV) – “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him 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.”
Genesis 37:21-22 (NIV) – “When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.”
Genesis 37:28 (NIV) – “So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.”
Genesis 37:36 (NIV) – “Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.”
Genesis 39:7-9 (NIV) – “and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?””
Genesis 39:14-15 (NIV) – “she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.””
Genesis 39:20-22 (NIV) – “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.”
Genesis 41:9-13 (NIV) – “Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.””
Genesis 41:16 (NIV) – ““I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.””
Genesis 41:39-40 (NIV) – “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.””
Genesis 50:18-20 (NIV) – “His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Application:
1. Read Genesis chapters 37, 39, 41, 45, which is about 24 verse a day
2. The next time you experience mistreatment, ask God for strength and wisdom to handle it in a way that glorifies Him
3. If you are going through a season of mistreatment, seek out how God might be wanting to change you through it
Strength Point:
God can use every part of your life, including times of mistreatment, and turn them into a life-giving story and promote you to the rescue team.
Song of the Week:
Reflection Question:
What type of environment are you in right now?
Prayer Prompt:
Hi Jesus! Thank You that You can transform my external circumstances. Your presence can change whatever situation I'm in. I'm sorry for trying to handle my hard seasons alone. I want Your help, I need Your help, during those times. Sometimes, Lord, I don't know what to do when people hurt me. I just hold on to bitterness, victimhood, or __. Remind me, that You, Jesus, had people who mistreated You, a friend who betrayed You, and even the hurt I've caused You. Yet, You forgive and You transform some of Your enemies into Your children. Teach me to let forgiveness in and let it change things. Show me how to claim victory over the trauma in my life. Lastly, I pray faith over myself, so that I wouldn't doubt the path you're leading me on toward transformation. Thank You that You know the whole story of my life, the beginning, the tear-inducing chapters, and the ending. You are the reason that I have hope that, in the end, it will be a great story! I love You, God! In Jesus' Name, I pray, amen.
A Prayer to Pray over Others:
Hi Jesus! Thank You that You can transform our external circumstances. Your presence can change whatever situation we’re in. Help my friend to not try to handle their hard seasons alone. Create a desire in them to want Your help during those times, because they need Your help. There are going to be times, Lord, when my friend will get hurt by other people and they won’t know what to do. Please, don’t let them hold on to bitterness, victimhood, or unforgiveness. Remind my friend, that You, Jesus, had people who mistreated You, a friend who betrayed You, and even the hurt they’ve caused You. Yet, You forgive and You transform some of Your enemies into Your children. Teach my friend to let forgiveness in and let it change things. Show them how to claim victory over the trauma in their life. Lastly, I pray faith over my friend, so that they won't doubt the path you're leading them on toward transformation. Thank You that You know the whole story of our lives, the beginning, the tear-inducing chapters, and the ending. You are the reason that we have hope that, in the end, it will be a great story! I love You, God! In Your Name, Jesus, I pray, amen.
April is Autism Acceptance month. Educate yourself with us by reading about Neurodivergence and Jason Arday, a Cambridge University professor with autism.
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