There is a lot about Joseph’s life that I cannot relate to. I didn’t have 11 brothers, and these brothers I didn’t have were not coming up with a plan to get rid of me. My sister, on the other hand…
I don’t have dreams of ruling over people or the ability to interpret dreams and I haven’t been in prison for things I did or did not do!
So what about his story can I relate to? Maybe it’s showing forgiveness to those that have hurt me in the past? No one has come so far as to put me in a hole or sell me, but we all have been put in a situation where we were hurt or let down to some extent. To forgive his brothers for such an act, I cannot imagine how hard that was for Joseph. That makes my petty grudges look ridiculous!
I like what C.S. Lewis says about forgiveness. “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” As much as you think that person does not deserve your forgiveness, you don’t deserve forgiveness either; however, God shows us that it doesn’t matter how unforgivable something might be; you are never too far gone. If anyone is allowed to hold a grudge, it would be Joseph. However, he manages to find it in his heart to forgive. Why? Because God had a plan for his life, and he continued to believe that on the mountaintop and in the valley.
Think about who you need to forgive this week. Ask God for strength to forgive and reconcile that relationship. That person just might need a little Jesus to shine in their life.