Faithful When No One Is Watching
Genesis 39:2 (ESV)
“The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.”
Genesis 39 picks up Joseph’s story after the pit. He has been sold into slavery, taken to Egypt, and placed in a situation he did not choose. And yet, one phrase stands out over and over again in this chapter. “The Lord was with Joseph.” That is important, because Joseph’s circumstances do not look like success. He is not where he dreamed he would be. He is not in a position of influence. He is a servant in someone else’s house. But God’s presence has not left him.
And because of that, Joseph chooses to be faithful.
He works with excellence. He earns trust. He carries responsibility with integrity. Even in a place that feels far from the promise, he honors God in how he lives. And then the pressure increases. Joseph is tempted repeatedly in a situation where it would have been easy to compromise. No one would have known. No one would have seen. But Joseph refuses. He chooses integrity over convenience, obedience over opportunity. And it costs him. He is falsely accused and thrown into prison.
That is where this hits home for us.
I think the reality is that every single one of us has opportunities to compromise every day. To take a shortcut. To bend the truth. The question is not whether the opportunity is there. The question is whether we choose what is right regardless of the outcome.
I even think back to when I was in school, and yes, this will date me a little bit, but one of my classmates was asked if he was the one who colored on the chalkboard. He admitted that he was. And the teacher gave him a lollipop for telling the truth. I remember watching that and thinking, okay, that’s how this works.
Not long after that, I had a moment where I had the opportunity to tell the truth, and I did. But if I’m being honest, I told the truth because I thought I was going to get a lollipop too.
I didn’t.
And I remember being pretty disappointed.
But looking back on it now, that moment taught me something that has stuck with me ever since. We don’t tell the truth to get something out of it. We tell the truth because it’s the right thing to do.
That is exactly what we see in Joseph’s life. He didn’t choose integrity because it would benefit him. In fact, it made his situation harder. But he chose it anyway.
And that is the kind of faith God calls us to.
So today, when you are faced with a moment where it would be easy to compromise, remember this. You don’t do what is right because of what it might bring you. You do what is right because it honors God.
Even when no one is watching.
Even when it costs you.
Even when there is no lollipop on the other side.
Because the Lord is with you.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You are with us in every circumstance. Give us the strength to walk in integrity, even in the small, unseen moments. Help us to choose what is right simply because it honors You. In Jesus’ name, amen.