Like Jesus: Forgiveness a Refining of Character

The process of ‘Character shaping and refined in the furnace of forgiveness life,’ is filled with endless vicious circle events, revolving around people of all ages and times. Early in life, the Lord was gracious to teach me this object lesson that I have not forgotten ever since. The best choice is to keep forgiving as a wiper in the windshield of the car wiping away the raindrops as it falls on the windshield

Joseph was the pride and joy of his father. Though Jacob had ten other sons, he favored Joseph, the one born to him in his old age. Jacob never bothered to hide his special feelings—not even from his other sons. In fact, he expressed his favoritism blatantly and visibly by having an expensive coat made especially for Joseph.

This did not go unnoticed by the older brothers, and they began to resent their spoiled young sibling. Joseph, who was either oblivious to their resentment or insensitive to it, made it worse by bragging to his brothers about his dreams that he would one day rule over them. In one dream, his brothers’ sheaves of grain bowed down to him. In another dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him.

Eventually, Joseph’s vivid dreams and their father’s favoritism so infuriated the brothers that they plotted Joseph’s death. While trying to decide the best way to accomplish it, they spotted a caravan of spice traders on the way to Egypt. Instead of killing Joseph, they decided to sell him as a slave. They said good riddance to their dreaming brother and made up a story to tell their father about his favorite son’s tragic fate.

So much for dreams of greatness. At age seventeen, Joseph became a slave in Egypt, then a prisoner in a rank dungeon for a crime he did not commit. The situation provided Joseph with plenty of time to think about his life and what he had done. Somewhere along the way, Joseph made a choice. He decided to forgive his brothers.

Eventually, God fulfilled the promise he had conveyed through dreams to the brash young man, but not before refining Joseph’s character through forgiveness.

Interactive questions:

1. How did Joseph's father's favoritism and Joseph's dreams contribute to the resentment of his brothers?
2. What do you think motivated Joseph to forgive his brothers after they had sold him into slavery?
3. In what ways do you think Joseph's character was refined through the process of forgiveness?