Living in a world that is in rebellion against the sovereign Creator means that judgment is on its way. In the meantime, there will be many harbingers pointing to the rebellion’s ultimate end. These harbingers will challenge God’s people in many ways. The most intense challenges will require the most profound wisdom to discern the Lord’s will and respond to the perils.
An example of this wisdom can be found in Scripture. Around the seventeenth century BC, Jacob and his family, Abraham’s descendants, were at risk for extinction because of a severe famine. Unbeknown to Jacob, his eleventh son, Joseph, whom he thought was dead, had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and was living in Egypt. Prior to the famine, Joseph found favor with Pharaoh by interpreting Pharaoh’s dream about the famine. Joseph was promoted to second in command in Egypt and given the task of preparing for the famine. When the famine arrived, Joseph saved Jacob and his family from starvation and relocated them to Goshen. Goshen became the place of P4 (protection, provision, prosperity, and preparation). Goshen illustrates God’s provision for the physical life of his people. From this story, one can glean guidance in how to discern God’s will using P4. Consider the following:
-
Protection from the threat of death. Being in the right context is essential for protection. Living in an arid region without the ability to produce food is certain death. Protection from death implies being in a context that supports life.
-
Provision to survive the duration of the threat. Without physical food, humans will die in a few months. Daily food is essential to maintain physical health.
-
Prosperity to grow and mature during the threat. The objective is not just to maintain life but also to grow and mature. The right context to support life and the physical provision of life must go beyond survival to sustain growth and maturity.
-
Preparation to recover after the threat. The threat of death exacts a price. Surviving the threat is necessary but there must be a vision for restoration. When the threat has passed, one must seek to rebuild what was lost. This requires preparation in the form of knowledge and wisdom.
The Goshen imagery can be helpful not only with a physical threat such as a famine but also a spiritual threat such as religious persecution.
For a Christian, freedom to practice a Christian worldview is essential to a godly life. When this freedom is threatened, Christians must seek God’s provision, that is, their Goshen—the divinely ordained place of protection, provision, prosperity, and preparation.
Here is your business tip. Wise organizational leaders recognize that successfully fulfilling their divinely ordained purpose requires an economic context that supports Christian values and principles. Without this context, obedience to God becomes arduous. This may also threaten the existence of the organization. In such case, it may be imperative for the organization to find a Goshen to survive the threat until the organization can safely return to its divinely ordained mission. Organizational leaders would be wise to prepare contingency plans to mitigate such risk.
