God Provides and Protects

“When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind (Genesis 37:4, 8b, 11).”

In my ongoing discussion on mental health we must look at Jacob’s son Joseph.

How we think, how we feel, how we act is all a part of our mental wellness. Most of you would agree that there are many factors that affect our mental health and some things we seldom want to talk about because of the distress it causes. Such is the case in the story of Joseph.

Jealousy is a strong emotion usually associated with romantic relationships however that is not the only time jealousy can rear its ugly head causing mental unrest. Joseph’s brothers experienced this all too well when he came bragging to them about the dreams he had. What also perpetuated their feelings of jealousy was the favoritism shown by their father towards Joseph. The reason they were jealous isn’t as important as the effects it had on their relationship with him and more importantly how it affected their thinking, their mind. The bible said, “they hated him all the more”. Hate is a strong emotion that can cause the most heinous of acts and which almost cost Joseph his life.

Anyone can suffer from mental distress from children to adults and it’s important to address it when it occurs. What Joseph’s brothers didn’t understand was that Joseph’s future, his dreams were going to be the way that God would protect and preserve their family and a part of keeping the promise God made to his great grandfather Abraham.

When it comes to feelings of jealousy and before jumping to conclusions be sure you understand the bigger picture! Hear Joseph’s message to the ones who hated him so; “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance (Genesis 45:7).”