God is Worthy of Our Best: Living Faithfully in the Midst of Chaos

Life often feels like swimming with blackout goggles - chaotic, disorienting, and uncertain. We can't see where we're going or how we're performing compared to others. In these moments of confusion and struggle, we're left with one simple choice: will we give our best effort despite not being able to see the bigger picture?

This is exactly where we find Joseph in Genesis 39. After being betrayed by his brothers, beaten, and sold into slavery, Joseph's life had become complete chaos. Yet in the midst of this turmoil, there remained one constant - God was with him.

What Does It Mean That God is Worthy of Our Best?

When we say God is worthy of our best, we're not talking about trying harder or being perfect. We're talking about faithfulness - being full of faith in every area of our lives. This means approaching our marriages, jobs, parenting, and finances with complete trust in God's character and purposes.

Why God Deserves Our Faithfulness

God is worthy of our best simply because of who He is. If we accept the truth of Scripture, then God created everything that exists. We were created for His glory - not because God was dissatisfied and needed something, but because He wanted to express His power, grace, and love through us.

Beyond being our Creator, God demonstrates His loving nature by adopting us into His family. When we pray "Our Father," we're acknowledging that God has chosen to make us His children despite our sin and brokenness. This incredible act of love should motivate us toward faithfulness.

God is also our provider. He gives us breath in our lungs, energy to wake up each morning, and strength to work. Even the food on our tables ultimately comes from His provision. When we recognize God as the source of everything we have, giving Him our best becomes a natural response of gratitude.

Should Our Circumstances Determine Our Faithfulness?

Joseph had every reason to be bitter. As the eleventh of twelve brothers and his father's favorite, he was hated by his siblings to the point where they wanted to kill him. Instead, they sold him into slavery. If anyone had justification for anger and bitterness, it was Joseph.

Yet here's a crucial truth: just because bitterness is understandable doesn't mean it's helpful. Choosing faithfulness to God will serve us far better than giving in to the flesh, even when our circumstances seem to justify our anger or frustration.

Faithfulness Regardless of Our Situation

We are called to be faithful even when:

• We're in a job we don't like

• We're dealing with difficult relationships

• We've had a terrible day

• Life feels completely unfair

This is possible because we ultimately serve God first, not our circumstances. While our jobs may not care if we're giving our best effort, we're not ultimately serving our employers - we're serving God through our work.

How Can Our Best Become a Powerful Witness?

When we choose to live faithfully, people notice something different about us. In Joseph's case, Potiphar could see that "the Lord was with him." This wasn't because of some supernatural glow, but because God was visible in Joseph's actions, conduct, and behavior.

Standing Out in a Self-Serving World

In our current culture that promotes selfish attitudes and self-serving ethics, faithful living absolutely stands out. When we commit our ways to the Lord, He will use our faithfulness in powerful ways - first for our own benefit, and then as a testimony to others.

The best possible life we can live is in faithful obedience to God. It may not be the easiest or most comfortable life, but it will be the most fulfilling. When we live this way, we develop character traits that others find attractive: honesty, care for others, and a desire to honor people.

What Does It Look Like to Be a "Christian" in Every Role?

Consider adopting this identity shift: "I'm a Christian _____." Fill in whatever role you're currently in - parent, teacher, neighbor, employee, gym member. This simple change in thinking can transform how we approach every area of life.

The Difference This Identity Makes

When someone asks what's different about being a Christian dad versus just being a dad, the answer is clear: "I don't do this for me or even for my kids. I do this to give God glory and honor."

A Christian teacher doesn't work just for a paycheck but uses their gifts to glorify God. A Christian neighbor prays for their neighborhood and looks for ways to serve others.

Practical Ways to Live This Out

Christians in every role should:

• Welcome others as Christ has welcomed us (Romans 15:7)

• Pray for those around us

• Encourage, help, and love one another

• Be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15)

When we live this way, people will eventually ask, "Why are you the way you are?" This gives us the opportunity to share about Jesus and what He's done in our lives.

Can Our Faithfulness Really Lead to Powerful Change?

Joseph's faithfulness didn't just benefit him - it blessed Potiphar's entire household. The text tells us that everything Potiphar owned, both in his house and in his fields, was blessed because Joseph was there.

This raises an important question: Are the blessings of God visible in your circles because you're there? Does your workplace, neighborhood, or family look a little more like heaven because there's a faithful Christian present?

God Works Through Our Faithfulness

We must not underestimate the power of God working through our faithfulness. When people bend their lives in obedience to God, powerful things happen:

• People dead in sin become alive in Christ

• Those living in brokenness find strength in Jesus

• They begin living for God's glory, creating a ripple effect

The change we need to see in our communities, families, and workplaces starts with faithfulness to God. There is no disobedience that serves us better than the hard work of obedience.

Life Application

This week, choose one specific area of your life where you will commit to being a "Christian _____." Whether it's your role as a parent, employee, neighbor, or friend, make the conscious decision to operate in that space for God's glory rather than your own benefit.

Ask yourself these questions:

• In what area of my life am I most tempted to give less than my best?

• How might my faithfulness in that area serve as a witness to others?

• What would it look like for God's blessings to be visible in my circles because I'm there?

• Am I willing to trust that faithful obedience to God is always better than any form of disobedience, even when it's difficult?

Remember, the powerful change you want to see around you starts with your own faithfulness to God. When we give Him our best - not to earn His love, but in response to the love He's already shown us through Jesus - He uses that faithfulness to bring about transformation in ways we never could have imagined.