“Naps at school,” “drinking water,” and “eating vegetables.” What do these have in common? They’re things that were terrible as a kid; but make sense in retrospect. Stick with me. Joseph had terrible tests early on, but they’d make sense in hindsight. Test #1 Temptation: “Lie with me” —Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:7-8). You know the story: his jacket in her hand, Joseph ran away. When in doubt, run. Joseph’s principles were tested in temptation—but God was there. God’s with in terrible situations, doesn’t mean He changes our circumstances. You can overcome temptation by sticking to your principles. Test #2 Trials: “This is the way your servant treated me” —Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:19-20). When Potiphar’s wife couldn’t lie with Joseph, she decided to lie about Joseph—sending him to prison. Joseph’s perseverance was tested through trials—but God was there. This stuff didn’t happen overnight. Scholars say it took 8-10 years for Joseph to rise from the prison floor to leadership. You can persevere through any trial with God. Test #3 Timing: “But the Lord was with Joseph” —God (Gen. 39:21). Joseph went from lying on the prison floor to having favor with the warden. Joseph’s patience was tested through timing—but God was there. You can have patience when you understand God’s timing.

HOW TO PUT GOD FIRST: In a culture that seems to move faster and faster every day, it’s hard to zero in on what’s most important. As guys, it takes all we’ve got to juggle all the balls we need to keep in the air. But as we consider the really important things in life, we need to make sure that God sits at the top of our priority list. It’s only when we put God first that we can give anything else the attention it deserves.

PUTTING OUR TRUST WHERE IT BELONGS: As guys, we know that trust doesn’t always come easily. We like being in control, so relying on anyone for anything is a big ask. Unfortunately, that even includes God more times than we’d like to admit. While trusting Him gets a lot of lip service inside Christian circles, living out complete dependence on our Creator still comes with its own unique set of challenges. That’s why identifying some of the roadblocks to trusting God makes a huge difference in our lives—and our families.

“God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” —John Piper

“Temptation is like a knife, that may either cut the meat or the throat of a man; it may be his food or his poison, his exercise or his destruction.” —John Owen

“Trials teach us what we are.” —Charles Spurgeon

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” —Dolly
Parton

In retrospect. If you’re unsure what to do next, trust God. It’s often easier to see God’s hand in hindsight. Speaking of tests, here are three pop quizzes for you: #1 Principles: How do yours pass temptation’s test? #2 Perseverance: Can you stick it out through trials? Patience: Are you relying on God’s timing? Reminder: God’s the hero, not Joseph. God transformed Joseph’s heart. Otherwise, Joseph would’ve slept with Potiphar’s wife, whined/stayed in prison, or somehow rose to power in a self-serving way. Look to God, not Joseph. Point your kids to God, not yourself. Make sure your kids see your principles, perseverance, and patience this week.

Kent Evans
Author of Bring Your Hammer, co-founder of Manhood Journey

P.S. Was this Mountain Monday helpful? Tell me if you love it, hate it, or if there’s something you’d like in the next one.

Forward this to a dad you know who needs some encouragement.