The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:23, NIV).
In the faculty conference I have been writing about in this week’s posts we have daily Bible studies on the life of Joseph in Genesis. In the conference we have been wrestling with some of the big challenges facing higher education in this present time and what Christians working in this arena can do to contribute to the flourishing of the educational institutions at which we work. There are no simple answers! But one thing a number of us have reflected on is what does it mean for God to be with us in our work?
What this doesn’t mean is that we are trying to Christianize the places we work. Joseph didn’t do that in Egypt. Eventually, because of God’s presence and gifting, he advises Pharoah about how to prepare his nation to weather an extended famine, the nation, ironically, that would eventually enslave his people. While he is in prison, he is helping a system run smoothly that supports a capricious justice system. He brings efficiency to the prison, and perhaps better conditions, and saves many lives in Egypt including his own family through his work with Pharoah.
Perhaps that is what it means to have God with us in our work in the university. It may not be a matter of creating the “ultimate” solution to the big challenges, but it is a matter of experiencing the enabling of God to know and do the right things in the particular places of God calls us to. One of our speakers observed that every single faculty in the room had some sphere of influence, all of them are leaders.
Furthermore, the presence of God suggests that often our God enabled work will bring tangible benefit that is noticeable to even those who do not share our belief. I know people whose integrity has led to their being given deanships or chairs because people recognize an intangible “something” that makes them trustworthy–the person who will do the work in a way that leads to flourishing.
It seems the big question for the person of faith, whether we work in a university or at a McDonald’s, is will I believe in the presence of God with me and be open to what that could mean in bringing blessing and flourishing to my context?
Bob on Books 
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