In 1860, a relatively unknown man from Illinois was elected the 16th President of the United States of America. What qualifications did he bring to the job of leading a country on the brink of civil war? Frankly, he possessed few. His resume included no executive experience. He had neither run a company or an organization nor had he led men in the military. As a young man, he was a farmer, a lumber jack, a ferryboat captain and the owner of a frontier general store.
Despite Lincoln’s humble origins, he had big dreams. As a result, he constantly looked to the future with the express hope of bettering himself. So, he studied the law well enough to pass the bar. Like many lawyers, he had grand political ambitions. Although he eventually succeeded in getting elected to Congress, he only served one term. Lincoln experienced many setbacks and disappointments over the course of his first 50 years of life. He lost money in business deals, buried multiple children and suffered numerous political defeats.
The story of Abraham Lincoln’s rise to the Presidency is not a typical one. Unlike many of our Presidents, he did not have an elite bloodline. It was never said of him that “he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.” Yet, in God’s mysterious providence, Lincoln was elected President during one of the darkest days of our nation’s history.
The path to the presidency was not an easy one for Abraham Lincoln. Frankly, the path to promotion for most people is difficult. Sadly, this fact is often forgotten in our culture. We live during a time of entitlement. Too many young people believe they should graduate from college and step into a high paying job. Perhaps, this explains why most teenagers are too good to work at McDonald’s anymore.
On the other hand, there are many frustrated people in the work force who have been beaten down by the economic climate over the last 5 years. Their dreams for a better future have been seriously tested by a weak economy. Pink slips, furloughs, sequestration and wage freezes have forced many to endure undesirable jobs because their options are so limited. When your circumstances are bad it’s hard to maintain a rosy outlook on the future.
What are your dreams for your future? Are you looking for a corner office? Maybe your dreams aren’t measured in economic terms. Perhaps, you’re trapped in a bad marriage and you find yourself praying for a miracle. Teens, is it a scholarship to a good school or is simpler than that? Do you feel invisible? Does it seem like your teachers, coaches and classmates overlook your talents time and time again? They recognize your peers, but not you.
I am sure this is how Joseph must have felt. He was highly gifted, but mistreated by rivals and consequently stuck in an unenviable situation. As we turn to Genesis 41, this bright young man’s prospects don’t look good. His big dreams for the future look like a thing of the past. While he languishes in an Egyptian prison, he’s about as low as you can go.
This article is an excerpt from this Sunday's sermon. All are welcome to join us for worship this Sunday at 10:30 am. Lighthouse Community Baptist Church is located at 22 Pequot Trail in Pawcatuck.
