Wednesday 23 August - Punish or Pardon? How To Forgive Someone Who Hurt You

Introduction

Reading: Genesis 45:1-15. Have you ever wondered how to forgive someone who hurt you? It seems so unfair to show love and grace to someone who has caused you so much pain. The easiest thing to do is to hurt them back.

Joseph Could Have Taken Revenge on His Brothers

I wonder if this crossed Joseph of Egypt's mind as he came face-to-face with his starving brothers? He was the second most powerful man in Egypt. If he had called the palace guard and demanded they through this Palestinian riffraff into Pharaoh's torture chambers, no one would have raised an eyebrow. This was his chance to get revenge.

Joseph Shows How To Forgive Someone Who Hurt You

But instead, Joseph shows you how to forgive someone who hurt you. He chooses to show love and grace to his brothers. In doing so, he ensures that in no way are they controlling his destiny. He refuses to bow to resentment and bitterness. Instead, he sees God's hand through it all, and is able to say, "It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives" (Genesis 45:5).

Joseph chooses to seek justice for his brothers, rather than to exact revenge.

How to Forgive Someone Who Hurt You

In doing so, we see how to forgive someone who hurt you. We look past the unfairness. We look beyond the injustice. We refuse to feed it. And instead, with God's help, we respond in love.

Think It Over

How does living with bitterness and hatred mean the person we cannot forgive still has control over us?