Forgiveness

Joseph had every reason to withhold mercy from his brothers. They had made his life miserable for years. He had felt the sting of their dislike — teasing, bullying, ignoring, bad-mouthing, and finally betraying him. Now the shoe was on the other foot. They had played right into his hands.

Some of us have been likewise hurt. We have known the sting of unkind words, the embarrassment of public putdowns, the secret sorrow of being left out. We’ve been laughed at, slighted, misquoted, cheated, snubbed, lied to, or misunderstood. Perhaps we’ve even been betrayed by a husband, deceived by a friend, mocked by a relative, put upon by a coworker, made the brunt of some cruel joke.

When confronted by little digs, false assumptions, malicious gossip, or blame-shifting, our first impulse is to lash out, prove our innocence, and assert our rights. Anger wells up in our hearts and with it the desire to strike out. Nothing would make us feel better than to get even — to make our oppressors feel the same pain we have suffered at their hands.

Joseph’s power over his brothers is poetic justice. Ironically, their treachery would eventually put Joseph in a place to avenge himself. What would you have done in Joseph’s place? His betrayers at his mercy. Those who had most hurt him groveling at his feet. They had ignored his pleading—now he could relish the sound of theirs. But no. As his brothers cowered in his presence, Joseph relented. He recognized the hand of God in his circumstances. Joseph set aside vengeance and chose forgiveness instead. Rather than triumphing over them, he calmed his brothers’ fears, comforted them in their sorrow and regret, assured them of their safety, and spoke kindly to them.

Would you do as much the next time you find the tables have turned?

Christa Kinde

Taken from Women of Faith Devotional Bible