Activities
Spiritual Formation
From the Pit to Prison
by John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation, based on this week's MS/HS Chapel
“JOHN!!! GET DOWN HERE!!!” My stepmom’s angry voice echoed through the house. What now? I thought as I made my way down to the kitchen.
Kathy stood beside the laundry basket, pointing furiously at a dirty coffee mug resting on top of a pile of clothes. She launched into a detailed explanation of all the ways I was irresponsible and how exhausting it was for her to constantly pick up after me. The lecture was thorough. It was passionate. And it was loud.
To be fair, I probably deserved plenty of similar speeches. I was a sixteen-year-old boy who had never felt the weight of managing the responsibilities of adult life. Forgetfulness came naturally. But the reason this moment has stuck with me all these years wasn’t the scolding itself—it was the injustice of it all. The mug wasn’t mine.
Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? Most of us can eventually accept consequences for mistakes we’ve actually made, even if we protest a little along the way. But facing punishment for something you are innocent of hits differently. It feels unfair, frustrating, and deeply unsettling.
That sense of injustice lies at the heart of the story of Joseph. He begins as a naïve teenage dreamer who shares his God-given dreams too freely with jealous brothers. Their resentment leads to betrayal, a pit, and eventually slavery. Later, while serving faithfully, Joseph is falsely accused by a woman who tries to take advantage of him, and he is thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit (Genesis 37–39). Over and over, Joseph suffers not because of his wrongdoing, but because of others’ sin.
Yet as the story unfolds, we discover that Joseph’s suffering was not wasted. God was not distant or indifferent. He was present through every injustice, quietly moving Joseph into a position where he would one day save his family, and many others, from disaster.
When we face difficult situations, especially unjust ones where we are misunderstood or mistreated, it is right to seek justice and accountability. But we do not have to surrender to despair. God is not far off, leaving us alone in the pit or the prison. He is the God who comes close.
When we trust Him to work through our circumstances, we may one day look back, like Joseph, and say with confidence, “What others intended for evil, God used for good.” You are not alone. God is with you, even now, and He is still making all things beautiful in their time.
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“JOHN!!! GET DOWN HERE!!!” My stepmom’s angry voice echoed through the house. What now? I thought as I made my way down to the kitchen.
Kathy stood beside the laundry basket, pointing furiously at a dirty coffee mug resting on top of a pile of clothes. She launched into a detailed explanation of all the ways I was irresponsible and how exhausting it was for her to constantly pick up after me. The lecture was thorough. It was passionate. And it was loud.
To be fair, I probably deserved plenty of similar speeches. I was a sixteen-year-old boy who had never felt the weight of managing the responsibilities of adult life. Forgetfulness came naturally. But the reason this moment has stuck with me all these years wasn’t the scolding itself—it was the injustice of it all. The mug wasn’t mine.
Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? Most of us can eventually accept consequences for mistakes we’ve actually made, even if we protest a little along the way. But facing punishment for something you are innocent of hits differently. It feels unfair, frustrating, and deeply unsettling.
That sense of injustice lies at the heart of the story of Joseph. He begins as a naïve teenage dreamer who shares his God-given dreams too freely with jealous brothers. Their resentment leads to betrayal, a pit, and eventually slavery. Later, while serving faithfully, Joseph is falsely accused by a woman who tries to take advantage of him, and he is thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit (Genesis 37–39). Over and over, Joseph suffers not because of his wrongdoing, but because of others’ sin.
Yet as the story unfolds, we discover that Joseph’s suffering was not wasted. God was not distant or indifferent. He was present through every injustice, quietly moving Joseph into a position where he would one day save his family, and many others, from disaster.
When we face difficult situations, especially unjust ones where we are misunderstood or mistreated, it is right to seek justice and accountability. But we do not have to surrender to despair. God is not far off, leaving us alone in the pit or the prison. He is the God who comes close.
When we trust Him to work through our circumstances, we may one day look back, like Joseph, and say with confidence, “What others intended for evil, God used for good.” You are not alone. God is with you, even now, and He is still making all things beautiful in their time.
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.