In this article, I challenged you to consider how God has used prisons for His glory. My article ended referencing Joseph and how God used not just Joseph but his seeming misfortune for a greater good none could see but God. I’d like us to take a closer look at that.

Let’s first remember that our human brains like things in an orderly, linear fashion. We try to understand what God is doing but in all reality that is like a human being trying to teach an ant nuclear physics (for an example of this, see Job). We can only see what’s in front of us while God is playing out scenarios on multiple levels involving people we don’t even know are in the same scenario we are. Be that as it may, our role is to be faithful and obedient while not having a clue what God is working on. Enter Joseph.

As you will recall, Joseph was the beloved, favored son of Jacob. Jacob was a dreamer and told his resentful, jealous brothers he would one day rule over them. The brothers roughed him up, took him away, and left him in a hole to die. Having a slight change of heart, they sold him to slavers who took him to Egypt. While in Egypt he became a slave/servant of Potiphar. When Potiphar’s wife unsuccessfully seduced him, she accused Joseph of rape and he then spent years in prison.

But, as Scripture tells us, Joseph was successful in everything he did so the guards put him in charge of the prisoners (like Paul he was able to minister to jailers and prisoners alike) and – through his dreams and crossing paths with two of Pharaoh’s servants – was brought to the Pharaoh and eventually was put in charge of everything that was Pharaoh’s. It was through God’s “connecting the dots” in His timing that allowed Joseph to rise to the second most powerful position in Egypt AND save countless lives because of his knowledge (from God) of the coming famine, including those of his family.

So, what does this tell us about prison ministry in today’s world?

Joseph’s constant misfortune led him to be right where God needed him to be. Joseph spent YEARS in captivity not guilty nor responsible for his being in prison. Regardless, prison at that stage of God’s plan was Joseph’s mission field. Joseph – through his actions – showed those around him the glory and nature of his God. He did not let his personal circumstances overcome his key part in God’s plan.

No matter who crossed his path in prison, Joseph held no grudges, withheld no grace, when it would have been easy to distance himself from individuals connected to those that put him in prison. Plus, in the end, he forgave his brothers for what they had done in saving their lives (which most of us would not have the courage to do).

How do we apply Joseph’s lesson to a current prison ministry?

For starters, we need to look at our prison system as a mission field. If there are people who need forgiveness, grace, and redemption it would be those behind bars.

Second, God does not view anyone as irredeemable. We can give up on people but God never does. We need to remember that and act as God would have us do.

Third, we need to be okay with the fact that we are playing a role not knowing who all of the cast members in the production are. God doesn’t need us to know the plan, He needs us to trust, obey, and act where He has put us. That’s it. Don’t sweat the details.

Fourth, we are God’s Plan A. If we do as He calls us, others will experience God’s love through us and isn’t that the point?

Finally, love. Judging is above our pay grade. Jesus called us to love everyone – even those who may not be the loveliest of human beings. Those who are incarcerated have been judged by the criminal justice system and one day – as we all will – by God. Our job is to love. Simple but not easy.

In Isaiah, God calls us to help the widows, the orphans, and the oppressed. Next time we’ll look at why those in prison are part of the oppressed. Till next time…