The Watered Soul

Finding Refreshment in the Word

Everybody Needs a Stripper in Their Life

By

What’s your chosen stripper’s name?  Not the one swinging on the pole. Or the one thatIMG_9553 stimulates your sensuality. Oh no I’m referring to the one that was used as an agent of change in your life.  Strippers come in array of disguises. Just take a look at Joseph’s story in the Bible.

In Genesis 37, we find the story of this young man, who was favored my his father but hated my his own brothers. Joseph was adorned with a special coat signifying the esteemed position he held in his father’s eyes. And if that was not enough, he was a dreamer. All of this contributed to him being put on the strippers’ hit list. For him, his strippers were cloaked in the form of his own brothers. They were determined to dash his hope and kill his dreams so much so that they set a plot to fake his death and secretly sale him into slavery.

But that wasn’t the end of Joseph’s story.  I would imagine that his route from favor to the pit to the place brought about a level of maturity in him that he would have never gained had he not had to experience the heat of his brothers’ vendetta.
Our strippers may not be people but perhaps they are situations like failed marriages, physical/sexual abuse, rejection or disappointments. Regardless of the form the stripper comes in, it’s purpose is the same to render you void of hope, dreams, faith, and identity.
However  your story (and my story) doesn’t have to end there. God can take all of stuff we encounter in this life and work it for our good. Some things like pride, selfishness, and independence gets worked out of us while other things such as perseverance, gentleness, meekness, and love get worked in us. 
Are there some situations in your life that is attempting to hold you hostage and keep you in the grips of pain and despair. If so maybe it’s time you look at from a different perspective, so that you may be able to proclaim the enemy meant for your harm but God worked for your good.

Comments

  2. Tracy Teppler says

    Hi Wanda – great post 🙂 Kind of feel like I'm being sanded right now! Great encouragement
    God bless
    Tracy

  3. BLUEBUTTERFLY says

    Well, well, Wanda, once again, it seems as if you are in my brain. One of my favorite verses come from Joseph's story, and that verse has been strengthening me. It says this:

    So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. – Genesis 41:14

    I remind myself daily that we can be "quickly brought from the dungeon" into our divine destiny.

  5. Ella says

    Wow, strippers…yes, I have had a few of those in my life. I think I still do…time to push them aside and forge new paths! Thanks for the reminder…they do bring us down, if we aren't careful! xXx

  6. Dawn says

    Found you on Faith Barista….

    Love this–
    "I would imagine that his route from favor to the pit to the place brought about a level of maturity in him that he would have never gained had he not had to experience the heat of his brothers’ vendetta."

    So true, even for us today!

  7. Lisa says

    This is good, Wanda! God has been working to remove some things from my life through His gentle stripping. All things work together for good. So thankful for that truth!

  9. Faith Imagined says

    You always give strong messages in a way that makes it easy to understand. You are such an annoited writer!

    This pushes me to fully embrace my strippers realizing I'll be a better Christian from them. Thank you!

  10. Toia says

    This is a great post. I love the analogy. This post gives me alot to think about. Blessings to you!!!

  11. Bernadine says

    Great post Wanda. I'm so glad that no matter how bad our stuff is God can work it out for our good.

  13. Reformed rebel says

    Hi Wanda~Strippers…Wow! Never thought of it like that before. However God has been working on me lately and "stripping" away things that I have been holding on to for way too long. Thank you for this…well timed for me!
    Blessings…Chelle

  14. Sharon says

    OK, Wanda – a clever and catchy title!

    I have to admit, many of the stripping times in my life came from my own doing. But God uses everything for His good if we turn to Him.

    Health, money, family issues – happy times and sad – they are all part of the re-tooling that the Master Carpenter is doing in our lives.

    I am so grateful that He cares – for instance, He didn't leave Adam and Eve naked – He clothed them. This shows me that though those times of being stripped will come – God will also be there to clothe me with robes of righteousness.

    GOD BLESS!