The Joseph Principle: Be Careful Who You Try to Bury

There is an old saying: What God has ordained, no man can stop.

When I think about the biblical story of Joseph, I cannot help but see parallels that extend far beyond ancient history. Joseph's brothers weren't angry because he had done them wrong. They were angry because of where they believed he was going. They resented his dreams. They feared his future. They could not stand the thought that one day the very person they looked down upon might be elevated above them.

So they came up with a plan. They stripped Joseph of his coat, threw him into a pit, and sold him into slavery for 20 pieces of silver. Then they took his bloodstained coat back to their father to convince him Joseph's story was over.

But here's what they failed to understand. They could take Joseph's coat, but they could not take God's calling. They could delay his journey, but they could not cancel his destiny.

Years later, the very brothers who tried to destroy him found themselves bowing before the man they once betrayed. That story has remained relevant for thousands of years because human nature hasn't changed.

In my opinion, there are striking similarities to what happened to former Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley.

Long before he announced his candidacy for mayor, there were whispers throughout the community that he might run. Whether those concerns influenced some members of the City Council is something only they can answer. But many in the community believed his potential candidacy became a political issue long before it became an official campaign.

Then came his dismissal as city manager. To many, it appeared that removing him from City Hall would also remove him from the political conversation. Some believed that if the title disappeared, so would the opportunity. Instead, something remarkable happened. Isaiah Hugley entered the mayor's race, and the voters of Columbus elected him as the city's next mayor.

That doesn't mean Joseph and Isaiah Hugley's stories are identical. They are not. One is sacred Scripture; the other is modern political history. But the lesson is similar: people often spend more time trying to stop a person's future than preparing for their own.

History is filled with examples of people who underestimated the resilience of those they opposed. Sometimes adversity becomes preparation. Sometimes rejection becomes redirection. Sometimes the pit becomes the pathway to the palace.

Whether you supported Isaiah Hugley or voted for someone else, one fact cannot be disputed: the voters—not political insiders—made the final decision. They had every opportunity to reject his candidacy. Instead, they elected him mayor.

And that brings me back to Joseph.

The brothers who threw Joseph into the pit eventually stood before him in a position they never imagined. The very man they tried to erase became the man they had to honor.

In my opinion, beginning in January 2027, there is an unmistakable irony in Columbus' political story. Some of the same council members who voted to remove Isaiah Hugley as city manager will now take their seats alongside him in council chambers. Protocol and respect for the office will require them to address him as "Mr. Mayor."

Like Joseph's brothers, they may have believed one chapter would end his story. Instead, it became the beginning of a new one.

That isn't about revenge. It isn't about humiliation. It is about a timeless truth: when people attempt to stand in the way of what God has ordained, they often discover they were only participants in a much bigger plan.

There is a lesson there for all of us.

Never become so focused on preventing someone else's success that you neglect your own purpose. If a person's success depends solely on your ability to stop them, then perhaps it was never yours to control in the first place.

Joseph's brothers thought they had written the final chapter. They hadn't.

The City Council wrote one chapter in Isaiah Hugley's public service. The voters wrote the next one.

Life has a way of reminding us that titles can be taken away, positions can be lost, and critics will always exist. But when purpose and perseverance meet opportunity, the story is far from over.

Perhaps that's the Joseph Principle.

People may throw you into a pit because they're afraid of your potential. They may try to strip away your title, your influence, or your reputation.

But if your destiny is bigger than their decision, the pit may simply become the place where God prepares you for the palace.

Sometimes the people who tried to keep you from the table are the very ones who must later recognize the position God has given you. Not because they chose it—but because the people did, and because destiny has a way of accomplishing what opposition cannot prevent.