Serving the Best

In the sporting world, some teams (whether in football, basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball, etc.) are criticized when they “play down” to the competition. When a first-place team wins a close game over a last-place team while winning decisively against better teams, it is said to be “playing down” to the competition.

Put another way, teams that “play down” to their competition are not giving their best efforts when they don’t believe the circumstances call for it (i.e. when they play a team of lesser talent).

The temptation to give less than our best can be great when the circumstances do not reflect what we have envisioned for ourselves. Resisting this temptation is part of managing ourselves well when we find ourselves “stuck” between the declaration of our destiny and the fulfillment of our destiny.

We have already learned from Joseph that he did not allow his circumstances to define his identity as a leader. Nor, as we will see, did he allow his circumstances to dictate his performance as a leader.

Genesis 39 recounts that even though he was a slave in Potiphar’s house, no one was greater in the household than Joseph. And even after he was put into prison as the result of a false rape allegation, Joseph was placed “over everything that happened in the prison.”

Then, according to Genesis 40, a cupbearer and a baker were thrown into prison, where verse 4 of the New Living Bible says, “Potiphar assigned Joseph to wait on them.”

“Wait on” a cupbearer (i.e. butler) and a baker? Joseph could have mailed in this assignment. He could have done just enough to get by. This was not a role fit for someone who was assigned to run the entire prison.

Nevertheless, Joseph resisted the temptation to “play down” to his circumstances. He cared enough about the pair to notice that one morning they looked dejected and sad. It turns out they each had dreams that bothered them. Joseph interpreted their dreams as a way of serving them.

The interpretation of the cup bearer’s dream would ultimately lead to Joseph’s release and the fulfillment of his destiny. It is a destiny he might have missed if he had determined that serving a cup bearer was not worthy of the same effort as serving a captain of Pharaoh’s guard.

We must be careful not to miss our destiny because we deem some assignments unworthy of our best effort and our best attitude.