CHAPTER 14
1. Joseph assumed God was in his crisis. “God preceded the famine. God would outlive the famine. God was all over the famine” (p. 145).
a. To what degree do you believe God is at work in the difficulties you face right now? Is your level of belief very low, moderate, high? How would you describe it?
b. What two or three factors most influenced your assessment? Factors might include past or recent events, experiences, relationships, beliefs.
2. Max presented two stories about how God took something initially painful and used it for something extremely good (pp. 146–47).
a. In your current difficulties what pain do you hope God will put to use for something good?
b. If you could know for certain that God would put your pain to use, how do you imagine it would change your current experience?
3. In the race to the South Pole, Roald Amundsen followed a plan of progressing fifteen to twenty miles a day regardless of the weather; Robert Scott followed no set plan, driving too hard on good days and stopping on bad days. In a book he later published about the race, Amundsen wrote, “Victory awaits him who has everything in order—luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.”10
a. What similarities do you recognize between Amundsen’s strategy and philosophy in conquering the hazards of the South Pole and Joseph’s approach in conquering the crisis of the famine?
b. What do you think it means to “take the necessary precautions in time” when navigating a personal challenge or crisis? For reference, you might consider how Joseph did this not only when he had the power and authority to manage the famine but also how he did it when he was a servant in Potiphar’s house and an inmate in prison.
c. Would you say you tend to be more like Scott, allowing good days and bad days to dictate your response, or more like Amundsen, making steady progress regardless of circumstances?
d. How does the story of the two men challenge you about your situation? How does it encourage you?
4. Management experts Jim Collins and Morten Hansen identified self-control as the primary distinguishing characteristic of corporate leaders who succeed in turbulent times (p. 149). Author Dallas Willard defines self-control as “the steady capacity to direct yourself to accomplish what you have chosen or decided to do and be, even though you ‘don’t feel like it.’”11
a. As you consider the crises or challenges you face, where do you tend to lack confidence in your ability to exercise self-control? What factors make it especially difficult for you?
b. The promise of Scripture is that “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Phil. 2:13 NLT). What desire and power do you need from God in order to resist the “I don’t feel like it” impulse?
5. “You can map out a strategy. Remember, God is in this crisis. Ask him to give you an index card–sized plan, two or three steps you can take today” (p. 149).
a. Depending on where you are in your crisis or difficulty, a plan might be as short-term as how to navigate the demands of the next hour or as long-term as laying out weeks or months in advance. What time frame do you feel comfortable planning for right now? An hour, a day, a week, or longer?
b. What do you want to achieve in that time frame? Try to keep your goal specific and measurable. For example, “trust God more” is a good thing to do but a difficult goal to measure. A more measurable goal could be “Every time I feel afraid, I will entrust myself to God by writing a brief prayer in my journal.”
c. What two or three steps can you take to progress toward your goal? If you need help to identify or follow through on the next steps, whom might you contact for help?