Here are two more things Joseph understood that we need to understand as well: 1) You can’t afford to give in to self-pity. Maybe you’re going through a difficult situation right now and you’re an innocent party – the victim of a situation you didn’t cause. Let’s think about Joseph’s reaction when he was in a similar position. What he didn’t do was give in to self-pity. Why? Because it’s a major contributor to depression. Often when we experience a serious problem and our self-esteem is already low, we start blaming ourselves and putting ourselves down. Joseph didn’t do that. He understood that the crisis he was in wasn’t of his own making, and he tried to look at it realistically. When you’re in a storm and you allow your boat to turn sideways, the storm will capsize you. And when storms come into your life, the best way to overcome them is to trust God and face them head-on, like Joseph did. 2) Never make a major decision when you’re feeling despondent. When we’re discouraged, we’re tempted to say, ‘I’m going to give up,’ or ‘I’m going to find another job,’ or ‘I’m going to get away,’ or ‘I’m going to move out.’ Please don’t make major changes without careful thought. When we’re downcast and despondent, our feelings are unreliable, our focus becomes blurred, and we lose perspective. It isn’t a good time to make important judgments. So what should we do? Trust God to bring us through it! We can say with the psalmist, ‘In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?’
