It takes character to withstand success.

News headlines are filled with stories of people who achieved success but were unable to handle it. Why? Because their character was too shallow. They did not have the depth of integriy to deal with the weight of fame and fortune. And so they crashed. And we saw their sad stories on Entertainment Tonight or 60 Minutes.

For the most part, their success was a result of their dreams. Early on, these superstar celebrities (athletes, entertainers, businessmen, etc.) had goals and desires that they pursued with passion. They sacrificed in many ways to achieve their place in the celebrity world. And then they fell. Their marriages were not able to handle the success. Their children were not able to handled the success. They fell. Story after story after story of heartbreak and hurt.

And that is one reason I like the story of Joseph from the Bible (Genesis). Here was a guy with a vision of where he would go. He saw himself as a ruler one day. His brothers laughed at him. And early on Joseph looked like a fool. This "ruler" ended up as a slave in Egypt and then jailed on a false charge of rape. He was left and forgotten in the Egyptian jail. And then out of nowhere, he is released and promoted to Vice President of Egypt. BAM! - He went from the dungeon to the tower in a matter of a few hours.

And did this Cinderella story of success fall to the ground? Nope. Joseph maintained his prominent position until his death. How? Early on God developed the character of Joseph through the hardships and difficulties of prison and slavery so that when the success came, he would have the character to handle it. And he did.

So if you are going through a difficult season of life right now, remember Joseph. God was not being mean to him by leaving him in prison. God was actively working to prepare Joseph for a time where he would save millions of people from starvation. It was all necessary so that the weight of success would not topple him over, ruin his life and allow millions to starve.