todd shupe

How To Turn Bad into Good

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).

I think we all have been the recipient of bad behavior by others. Perhaps your spouse cheated on you or a dear friend was unable to keep a secret. My heart breaks for those that have been incarcerated for decades for a crime and then are finally released when DNA evidence, which was not available at the time of the trial, proves they are innocent.

The Biblical story of Joseph is a powerful example of God turning bad into good. As you may recall, Joseph was the youngest of Jacob’s children. The oldest son typically was held in highest regard but Jacob favored Joseph and gave him  “a coat of many colors.” Joseph told his brothers of his dreams and in one dream they were all bowing down to him. The brothers began to hate Joseph and one day threw him into a pit to die. However, they realized that they could receive a small amount of money for selling him and when a trader passed, they sold their brother into slavery.  This is not just bad — it is evil!

Joseph spent many years in prison but maintained his faith in God. His ability to interpret dreams (a gift from God) eventually allowed him to interpret Pharoh’s dreams and manage the surplus of grain for the seven years of plenty to be ready for the following seven years of nothing. The boy ascended from a death pit to second in command of Egypt!  When his brothers come to Egypt for grain, I am struck by Joseph’s response to them: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”  (Genesis 50:20). Joseph knew that God would use the bad that had been done to him and eventually turn it into good. Isn’t that the message of Romans 8:28?  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Amen!

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We welcome your comments below.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.

Liked this post?

Read more below or search for more topics...

  • The Stranger

    The Stranger "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it"  (Hebrews 13:2 NIV).A friend recently told me an amazing story of kindness that begin with the simple words “excuse me.”  She was walking to her car in a parking lot when a voice from behind called out to her, “excuse me.”  She froze for a second and did not immediately respond.  She thought that this is likely a con man or a beggar wanting a hand out.  Questions raced through her mind.  Why doesn’t he get a...
  • Complete The Mission

    Complete The Mission “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24 NIV).As men, we love projects.  We love to build something and to be a part of something greater than ourselves.  Most men enjoy working with their hands and tend not be comfortable speaking to a group of strangers, especially about their faith.  We have many large tasks that we want to accomplish in life – pay off the mortgage, raise our children...
  • Present but Absent

    Present but Absent “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 ESV). Many men are inherently competitive.  We want to be the best at what we do.  It pushes us to harvest the largest buck deer, catch the biggest fish, or grow the largest tomato.  We even compete in fantasy football.  A competitive nature helps us climb the ladder at work.   This inner drive has helped us to be financial providers for our...