36 of 365 - Joseph

​They [Joseph’s brothers] saw him [Joseph] from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” Genesis 37:18-20
 
Remember Joseph, the firstborn son of Rachel (the wife Jacob loved)? Jacob loved Joseph more than the others and didn’t do much to hide it. Probably not a candidate for dad of the year! Jacob gives Joseph this amazing colorful coat. The jealousy and tension that started among Jacob and Esau, and then among these boys’ mothers, continues among the twelve sons. Left unchecked, sin will always grow and spread.
 
The other sons hate Joseph because he was the favorite. To make it worse, Joseph has two dreams that basically say one day they will all bow down to him. And Joseph tells them, adding to their brewing hatred of him. The brothers want to kill him, but instead, sell him to some men traveling through the land. They let their grieving father think he was eaten by a wild animal. Jacob is devastated.
 
It turns out Joseph is ultimately sold to an important official in Egypt. Joseph is a man of incredible character, integrity, and faith in God. Potiphar (the Egyptian official) puts his entire household under Joseph’s management.
 
Things are going great until Potiphar’s wife takes a liking to Joseph, but full of integrity, he refuses her. She is furious and accuses him of attacking her, which lands Joseph in prison. Despite his circumstances, Joseph remains faithful in prison and there he again gains the trust and respect of the prison guards.
 
It is a roller coaster of blessings and trials, but through it all – even in prison unjustly – Joseph remains full of faith in God. He never waivers.
 
Question: How hard is it to stay faithful to doing the right thing when everything around you seems to be falling apart, especially when it is because of other people’s bad decisions?