Detours: Lessons From JosephНамуна
Pardon and Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness. Bitterness. Resentment. Regret. Languishing over the loss of the past. All of these things, and those other things similar to them, hinder us from reaching our destiny. They keep us trapped on detours for far too long. They weigh heavy on us, causing our shoulders to slump and our smiles to turn downward.
Far too many people are failing to reach their destinations because they are still feeling loaded down by the pain of the past. The weight of yesterday continues to weigh them down today, keeping them from moving freely into tomorrow.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, will hinder you arriving at your destiny like this thing called unforgiveness. Unforgiveness includes holding on to past pain, past hurts, past grudges—the weightiness of regret, remorse, and revenge. Unforgiveness is that one thing above all else that will block God’s movement in your life taking you from where you are to where you are supposed to go.
When you hang on to the weight of yesterday, it will hinder the progress to tomorrow.
Unforgiveness is that critical area that must be addressed if you are going to reach your destiny.
If anyone had a right to be angry, bitter, and hold a grudge, it was Joseph. But Joseph chose another path. Joseph chose another approach. He chose a different perspective.
If you and I want to be set free from unforgiveness, Joseph’s perspective on pardon must be our own.
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About this Plan
In this small group study Dr. Tony Evans uses the epic faith, life, and career of Joseph to teach that God is more interested in your development than your arrival. Like Joseph, a kidnapped and enslaved boy who grew up to save an empire, the obstacles and obstructions in your life can lead to real accomplishments. Granted, detours are anything but convenient. They take you out of the way. They are longer than you originally had planned to travel. But they are necessary. God allows detours in your life because He cares more for your character than your comfort, more for your purity than your productivity. He cares about your destiny!
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