Monday Memo 1207: Working for Pharaoh
For decades, Israel worked in Egypt for the king, but when Moses showed up, Pharaoh was upset and changed their work rules:
That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies" (Exodus 5:6-9).
God eventually set the people free but later, when they only had manna to eat during their trek through the desert, the people complained:
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" (Numbers 11:4-6).
I heard a pastor say one time, "No matter how well Pharaoh treats you, at the end of the day, you're still an oppressed people dependent on the whims of a king for your provision." That statement impacted me, for up to that point in my life, I had worked for others in the hopes that I could eat the scraps that fell from their tables.
It's true that many people, a majority, work for "someone else." There's nothing wrong with that. They may dream of owning or having their own business, but they believe they need someone to pay their health insurance or fund their pension, so they work at jobs that give them little else besides money. God can use a company to do all that, but He doesn't need one. He can pay for those things just as easily through your own work as through the work you do for another.
The problem, however, is that the transition from working for others to working for yourself can be a difficult one. On the way to the Promised Land, Israel tired of manna and forgot their oppressive conditions back in Egypt because at least there they could eat familiar foods to their heart's content. God had something better in mind for them, but they had to go through the wilderness to get to the land flowing with milk and honey.
More than twenty years ago, I started my own company—actually two companies. Since then, God has provided through multiple streams of revenue: donations, consulting, book sales, speaking, teaching, and publishing. There have been lean times but the freedom to follow my purpose and not have to please Pharaoh has been worth the struggles. And God has been the One to fund my retirement (if that ever happens) and my health insurance along the way.
Do you have a dream that's related to your life purpose as to how you will express it? What's stopping you from pursuing it if it requires that you start a business? If it's money, keep in mind that even if you have a Pharaoh in your life, God is the One who provides through that person or company.
When you start your own business, nothing has really changed, for God was your provider before you started it and He will continue to serve that role. God is simply changing how He provides, but He is still the One who oversees that process. And you can be sure that He can provide you with "leeks and garlic" no matter where you live and how you choose to express your purpose. Have a blessed week!