Sometimes we find ourselves in such dire straits that it seems impossible to imagine doing anything but just hanging on as best we can. But how can we actually use these times to serve God and our fellow man right where we are and to progress in our spiritual growth?

The story of Joseph in the Hebrew Scriptures has much to teach us about serving God when the going gets tough. The favorite son of his father, Joseph incurred the envy of his brothers, was sold by them into slavery, and was later imprisoned for a crime he had not committed. Yet he eventually overcame these challenges by being grounded in humility. He dealt with each situation, no matter how unjust, and performed every task, no matter how menial, with diligence and integrity. He at all times worked for the glory of God, exemplifying guidance that would appear in the Bible thousands of years later: “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23). 

An Egyptian master to whom Joseph had been sold “saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand” (Genesis 39:3) and put Joseph in charge of his entire household.