The Title Is Only Icing On The Cake

Genesis 39:11
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

In the scripture above Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers because of their jealousy of him. Ultimately God used what was meant for evil and turned it into good.

It can also be the case with us. God will sometimes allow us to go through what may look the most horrid of circumstances but it's in those situations, he will still give us grace and mercy.

Genesis 39:33
When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did,

Although Jospeh was stripped of his title of being the favorite son, the special one, the Lord saw fit to show that regardless of Joesph's status, title, etc...he was still great. Joseph was a slave, yet still was a leader. Why? Because the Lord was with him. A title doesn't guarentee that the Lord is with us. It's what's in our hearts. The Lord doesn't look at size and title to determine who is the greatest. He actually likes using those that others pass over because they are the ones that are less prideful and it's easier to show greatness in someone smaller than in someone who "thinks they have it all together".

If the title determined everything, we would have more great leaders in the world.

Genesis 39:20-21
20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

The most beautiful thing about the Lord is that he doesn't let the opinions and personal agendas of others get in the way of his work. Jospeh was accused of something he didn't do. But the Lord still looked on him favorably in spite of the circumstances. Again, no titles.

How many of us have fixed our eyes on a title or a status? "If I get here, then I will be great." The Lord wants to use all of us right where we are, if we're willing to be obedient to him. We are great in him, regardless of where "we think we are". Moving with heart will make a greater difference.

Eventually, Joseph received the title. It was a title greater than what he imagined and even greater then what he started with as the favorite son. Jospeh was appointed by the Lord to lead, everyone else just had to catch up to what the Lord was doing with him.