The people around us
One of the realities of life is that some people will never accept the rising star of another. These are people who want to be the only ones shining or shining brighter than others. Such people can go all out to stop a person from succeeding. These days, they will use social media and other means to assassinate the character of the person they don’t want to see succeeding.
These are found in circle of friends, where one wants to be the only one celebrated. This one will
speak bad about the other who is achieving great things. Such a friend will stir up trouble and gossip
They are also found in the workplace. These ones will always shoot down the work done by the
person they do not like. They will always find fault in others and want to present themselves as
perfect. Some are so vile that they will even plan to get another person fired because they are
threatened by that persons’ success.
Families also have a fair share of such characters. Some feel entitled to your success. Some don’t
want you to succeed above them. Some don’t want you to succeed at all. You will think families
should love one another to at least not want another family member dead, yet, for a hater, the
death of a relative they hate is a cause for celebration.
The Bible has a record of such vile people. My first book titled, From the Pit to the Palace, a Prisoner
made Governor touches on this subject.
Joseph, the son of Jacob the grandson of Abraham was favoured by his father. He was son of the
wife he worked hard for, seven years in the house of Laban, and was tricked on the wedding day and
was given the sister instead. He ended up working another seven years for to have the one he loved.
Then, she could not bear children for a while, and the sister had children.
When God opened her womb, she had a son and named him Joseph. He was his father’s favourite;
he gave him a coat of many colours. Then the young Joseph had a dream which when interpreted it revealed that he was going to be a ruler, and his family would be under his authority. That was the last straw for the brothers. They plotted to get rid of Joseph.
Opportunity came when Joseph went to check on them when they were in the field taking care of the flocks. They sold him to travellers, Ishmaelites who in turn sold him to Egypt. There he became a slave and a prisoner.
You can imagine how he felt, in a foreign land, working as a slave when he was his father’s favourite. I wonder how he felt when he was on his way to Egypt, thinking about his brothers, how they hated him to the extent of getting rid of him. He must have missed his father so much. He suffered in a foreign land because he was hated by those he loved.
The story of Joseph has a good ending, with the fulfilment of the dream which landed him in Egypt in the first place. He was elevated in Egypt, saved the country during a seven-year famine which hit so hard, his own family had to come and stay there, under Joseph’s rule so they could survive.
So, keep your head high, stay focused, do not be discouraged when you are attacked by people you expect to celebrate you.
Not everyone will love you on this earth, but God.
Not every bad situation will remain the same.
The plan of God remains true despite the people who may try to stop you.
Dr Carol Nkambule
Author & Publisher Director – Kingdom Anchored