Seeds of Wisdom

FORGIVE AND MOVE ON

Genesis 50:18-20 – “Then his brothers went and fell down before him [in confession]; … But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.] As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…”

We have heard this phrase over and over: “Forgive and forget.” The challenge is that, as human beings, we hold on to offence and, in the process, hinder ourselves. It is important to learn how to forgive and let go of offences so that we can be free from anything that can hold back the blessing of God in our lives. Despite the disappointment and disloyalty of Joseph’s brother, he forgave them and let go of the past offence because he realised that it had worked for his good. He also realised that his brothers did what they did to him out of ignorance to have sold their future helper. Jesus said in Luke 23:34, “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

It is possible not to forget an incident but God wants you to forgive, trust him and see how he can bring good out of the hurt. That is more important. When you see God bring good out of a bad situation, you can thank Him for that good work. You cannot thank God for things you forget. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” There are a lot of things in life that are evil. Not everything that happens in this world is God’s will. But God says He will work good out of the bad things in life if you will trust him. You can go to Him and say, “God, I give you all the pieces of my life.” He will take your pieces and give you peace in your heart. This peace will come when you realise you can forgive, even if you do not understand the hurt in your life, because you know God will use that pain for your good.

Further Reading: Genesis. 37:1-20, 41:14, 39-45, 50:12-20, Romans. 8:26-29

Prayer: Father, give me the grace to walk in forgiveness.