Forgiveness and bitterness can be something that grips your life. I know some people who will die wrapped up in the bitterness of a myriad of things from their past. Do I want to be one of those people? Do you? No, of course not. But letting go can be something that feels so hard it's almost impossible. Especially depending on the closeness of the people who hurt you. Take Joseph for example, his own father esteemed him to a very unhealthy point- his brothers hated him for being "daddy's little boy". They hated him so much that even though he begged for his life they still sold him into slavery. That's cold. Real cold. I can imagine the monster of bitterness was breathing heavily on Josephs neck at that point. In this case, both parties (his dad and his brothers) did him wrong. There is such thing as unhealthy love (which really isn't love at all). The awesome thing through this nasty mess of family drama, God was with him.
It's so true that when you are a Child of God, no matter how hard things are in your life, God is with you. I have to use all fingers and toes to count the amount of times that God has been there through the most excruciating times of my life, with some of them not being that long ago. No one can feel the depths of your pain like God can. Jesus remembers Calvary, but he also loved his persecutors while hanging on the tree.
The next main part in Josephs story? well, it wasn't all that bad at first! He had a break from the horrid time in his life and was actually put in charge of one of Pharaohs captains house (Gen 39:1)! The Bible says the Lord was with Joseph at this time and the captain (Potiphar) really liked Joseph... But, life is not always easy and when we want it to be, we hardly grow at all! Pain is always around the corner, but it is used greatly to bring us closer to our God and Saviour. In this case, Potiphars wife was angry with Joseph for not sleeping with her and framed him to make her husband think that he did! AGAIN, Joseph was the object of someone's hatred and sin. He was thrown in prison. God was still with him though!
I see this like visioning a child falling on a bike scraping their knee and God being the one to say "It's ok, I'm here and I'm going to help you. Pretty soon you'll be riding this thing with no hands! Get up and keep going."
I'll let you read the rest of the story, but through it all Joseph chose to forgive. There are several times where the Bible says he wept. Being hurt to these degrees comes with it's own scars that never really go away,but they can stop hurting after a while. Tears bring healing in my opinion. My favorite verses in the entire story are these, it was said by Joseph himself to his brothers after revealing his identity to them in Egypt.
"And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life....And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors...So it was not you who sent me here, but God." (Gen 45:5b,7a,8a)Through it all, Joseph understood that God had a plan. He was molding and shaping him into who God wanted him to be and sometimes that hurts. When people hurt you, try to remember this. I have to remember it also. A wise friend once asked me this question: ask God for the understanding of how these people hurting you, are for the good of you- how are they molding you? how are they shaping you in the eyes of Jesus?
All of us have situations and people in our lives that hurt us or are still in the process of hurting us. Sometimes, like when Joseph seeing his brother for the first time since they sold him, we have the opportunity to bless instead of curse those who have wronged us. What is our choice going to be? Are we going to be like Jesus who cried out "Father, forgive them" when he looked at his persecutors? I hope to be that person. Are you going to choose to be a Modern Day Joseph?
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