The other day I come across an Instagram post saying how God will give you a blessing you don’t qualify for.

And there were lots of people commenting “Amen”.

What got my attention was that this dubious ‘prophecy’ about getting a blessing you don’t qualify for, was posted from the account of a job recruiter.

I mean they’re probably going to place the employee from Hell in any organisation that uses their services…

But what kept my attention was how they’d used Joseph, son of Jacob, as their example of how god gives you a blessing you don’t qualify for.

One huge problem with human beings, generally speaking, is that we don’t see the full picture. We’re swayed, intimidated and impressed by appearances.

So, we look at someone who’s actually QUALIFIED and see something else cos we’re focusing on the wrong thing.

If this wasn’t the case, how can anyone with a brain, look at the 30yo Joseph who was promoted to second-in-command in Egypt, by Pharaoh and call him unqualified?

Joseph who learned resource management and stock control when in Potiphar’s house? (Genesis 39: 4 – 5)

Joseph whose libido didn’t control him when his master’s wife threw herself at him and even sexually harassed him? (Genesis 39:7 – 12)

Joseph who learned people management in prison? (Genesis 40)

The same Joseph who learned by virtue of very brutal experience when to be quiet? Cos the only reason he ended up in a pit in the first place, was cos he was a blabbermouth! (Genesis 37:8)

It wasn’t because his brothers were jealous of their father’s obvious love and partiality towards Joseph or the coat of many colours; those were afterthoughts!

His brothers were terrified that the dreams he’d blabbed to them about, would come true; that was their focus! (Genesis 37:19 – 20)

Isn’t it funny how the one who interpreted the dreams of others, couldn’t interpret his?

How he could say with certainty that three days after their dreams, the butler would be restored and the baker would be executed – but he had no inkling when he’d be released? If Joseph had known HOW and WHEN his story would change, he wouldn’t have tried to sort it two years before the due date!

But the 30yo Joseph who was promoted to the second in command in Egypt, was not the 17yo Joseph who was sold into slavery.

By the time he got to the palace, he had learned all the skills it turned out he would need to function in the place of promotion.

He had character and ability such that he wouldn’t steal, he knew how to keep accurate records, he wasn’t sleeping with other men’s wives, he wouldn’t take things personally when hunger made the people rude, and he was able to restrain himself from revealing his identity to his brothers for a while.

And when you pray, this ☝️ is the man that you’re using as a template for how god will give you a blessing you don’t qualify for?

How exactly is this man unqualified? Cos he didn’t attend Ivy League or finishing school?

But Potiphar’s house and the king’s prison were his own Ivy League and finishing school! They gave him what he needed.

And they took him 13 years – which you should know before you get tempted to craft any ridiculous prayers for god to give you overnight success like He did for Joseph.

You’re just going to trigger a wilderness period for yourself cos God is not the totally insane or irresponsible parent the money-hungry false prophets you like to follow, have taught you that He is.

Cos that’s what it would take for Him to give you a blessing you don’t qualify for – insanity or irresponsibility.

Problem is that what human beings see as QUALIFIED is often not the yardstick by which He measures. Because that promotion or blessing isn’t about us.

And some often see the qualifying process as punishment for a real or imagined sin…

But it is NOT in the nature of any self-respecting deity to let you have a blessing you don’t qualify for.

So, if you’re a woman in Law or Media who feels unqualified for the next step in your career, ask for my help here.