I am in Johannesburg on my way home. I have been gone since April 23, so I am anxious to get home and enjoy some of our summer weather. I will post an entry to my blog later today about what I will do when I get home, so if for some strange reason you are interested in what that may be, you can check it out for yourself.
I've been thinking about Pharaoh this past week. That may sound like strange meditation material, but I've been reflecting on the Pharaoh without and the Pharaoh within each of us. You may respond, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a Pharaoh in my life." I hope you don't, but just in case you do, read on.
THE PHARAOH WITHOUT
There are two Egyptian Pharaohs that get attention in the Bible. Joseph was the contemporary of one and Moses the other. I have done some study and writing on the good Pharaoh over Joseph and that can be found on my website. For now, we want to look at the bad Pharaoh, the one whose stubbornness brought the plagues upon his people and affected his nation's effectiveness down to this very day.
What was this bad Pharaoh like? He was consumed with working and building, with amassing wealth and using people to get that wealth. He was a hard taskmaster and drove the people and his overseers, not allowing any off days or seasons of rest. When Moses confronted him, Pharaoh got even more difficult, ordering that the Israelites were to make bricks and gather their own straw, the straw having been provided for them previously. He was suspicious and was focused on one thing--production.
Perhaps you have worked for a Pharaoh like this. There is no joy in working for or with this kind of manager or leader. They see you as a means to production, nothing more, nothing less. It is easy to dislike this kind of leader, but often what can you do? You must work to feed your family and besides, work isn't something really to enjoy. It's often something to endure, which leads us to our discussion of the Pharaoh within.
THE PHARAOH WITHIN
When you "buy into" Pharaoh's attitude, even if you aren't in leadership, then you are working for a Pharaoh. What do I mean? Your mentality says, "I need to work. It's not something that I should expect to enjoy. I should just do it and look for fulfillment outside of my place of employment." That is what it means to have a Pharaoh within--you are your own taskmaster!
When I work with people one-on-one, I ask them what they would do if they had all the money they needed. Many struggle with the question. Then I urge them to ask me. When they do, I respond, "I would do what I'm doing today, except that I'd fly business class more often!" About six years ago, I stopped being driven by a false concept that my work is to be endured and not enjoyed. I faced my Pharaoh within and fired him! Now I work for the Lord, who ordered Pharaoh to "let my people go."
If you work for a Pharaoh without, there may not be much you can do as long as you stay where you are. But if you work for a Pharaoh within, then there is something you can do. You can change the way you view work and purpose. It is possible to enjoy what you do; in fact it's the will of God for you! Once you embrace that truth, it will cause you to pursue different things to do. You will give yourself permission to pursue what you enjoy. When you are free from the Pharaoh within, you can be a person of purpose on and off the job. It's a great way to live.
If I were you, I would assess how many Pharaohs there are in your life right now. I would suggest that even one is too many! Determine this week to at least face the truth and, if one of those Pharaohs is inside you, to face and deal with him. Don't let him bully you anymore, but rather determine to free yourself so that you can pursue the word of the Lord, the word that says you are free. Have a great week!
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1.Here is my schedule for the months of July and August. Let me know if you would like to meet for a purpose session when I am in your area.
July 6-10 -- Virginia Beach, Virginia
July 12-13 -- Denver, Colorado
July 17-18 -- Dallas, Texas
July 27-30 -- Maywood, New Jersey
August 7-11 -- Seattle, Washington
August 25-27 -- Johannesburg, South Africa
August 28-September 3 -- Harare, Zimbabwe
Also, I am still leading a cruise retracing the steps of the apostle Paul from October 26-November 3. If you are interested in being part of that cruise, email me and let me know.
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5. We are almost finished with our study of First Corinthians, which I send out every week. When we finish, we will automatically move into Second Corinthians. These studies focus on four verses every day. When I send them out, I send out a week's worth of verses. I never make my studies technical; they are always practical and include questions to help you apply what you read every day. If you would like to subscribe, go to the site and enter your email address. I have all my previous studies available for free on my website.
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