We Outlast the Temporary
As a writer, my job is to make life harder for my characters, setting up obstacles and building complications that will keep readers engaged. Suspense author Susan May Warren uses the terms disappointment, disaster, and destruction, but leaves devastation for the tense black moment. Such language makes writers sound sadistic, like malicious overlords waiting to torture our unsuspecting heroes. However, if we made our characters’ lives sunshine and rainbows, readers would grow bored and put the book down. Readers root for the persistent heroes who endures to claim their happy ending, or at least a deeper understanding of themselves or the world.
Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde is credited with the phrase, “Life emulates art.” In my understanding, life emulates fiction. The things meant to help us, money, technology, and social media, create solutions, but also a pile of different problems. Opportunities can escalate into challenges and then into issues. It’s up to us to use each complication as a stepping stone to rise above our problems and persist until the end.
Stories are reminders to keep persisting, enduring, and prevailing until we can say we’ve run the race marked out for us and hear God’s voice say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23.) The story of Joseph is one that goes from good to bad to worse… and then repeats.
Joseph was his father’s favorite son, which made his brothers jealous, so they sold Joseph into slavery. He became a slave in Egypt for Potiphar, the captain of the guard, and received accolades until Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. Joseph fled, but she claimed he accosted her, and Joseph was thrown in jail.
Joseph became the jailor’s assistant, and when two prisoners (a baker and a wine bearer) had disturbing dreams, Joseph interpreted them with God’s help. The wine bearer was supposed to mention Joseph to Pharaoh, but upon being released, he forgot.
It wasn't until Pharaoh had a bad dream and called for an interpreter that the wine bearer said to summon Joseph. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and also helped Egypt prepare for an upcoming famine. He was promoted to second in the kingdom, and when Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, seeking food so they wouldn’t starve, Joseph forgave them and helped his family.
Each challenge brought Joseph closer to where God needed him to be to save his family. He could have given up when he was sold into slavery. He could have become bitter when he was innocently thrown in jail. He could have sulked in jail when the wine bearer forgot him, but he didn’t. Joseph gave his best to God, no matter the trial, and God was faithful.
Joseph’s story is a reminder to hang in there. All stress, pain, and mourning are temporary. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
We are overcomers, and we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). Opposition and challenges are expected because we have an enemy out there looking to trip us up. The devil seeks to devour, but God has plans for us to prosper. Proverbs 24:16 states, "Though the righteous may fall seven times, they rise again." When we see that this temporary life is just a breath and that our souls spend eternity in heaven, our focus turns to the bigger picture so we can press on into God’s glory.
It’s easier to outlast the temporary when we’re focused on the eternal.