Responding to wrong

Sometimes, the people who say they love you hurt you.

Sometimes they do things that go beyond human comprehension and leave you to scratch your head ask why.

Sometimes the pain is physical. Other times it’s emotional.

If you should build up the courage and ask why, sometimes you get a straight answer.

Other times you’re made to feel like you’re crazy because in their mind nothing ever happened; they did nothing wrong.

Or the infraction was so long ago they ask why are you still dwelling on that and who really cares.

If you want to talk family hurt you have to go to the story of Joseph. Hated enough by his brothers for being his father’s favorite that they plotted his murder. Instead they turned the situation into a money making venture and sold him into slavery. How dastardly! His life took several downward spirals before things forever turned around in his favor. When Joseph was finally reunited with his brothers he said this:

Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:5 (NASB)

This is one of the most powerful acts of forgiveness given to us in scripture. Joseph was done horribly wrong by family and that action led to forced servitude and prison. But in the end, Joseph was able to see the big picture; that he was sent ahead in order to save lives.

I am sure there were days in that prison he greatly resented his brothers. We see him getting even when his family came to buy food.

But in the end, he adopted forgiveness; and forgiveness is empowering.

From the cross, Jesus cried out Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing. Stephen even asked forgiveness of those who stoned him.

I pray you choose to empower yourself through forgiving mom, dad, sibling, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma’s and grandpa’s, ex-husbands, ex-wives, old boyfriends or girlfriends and even your spouse.

Today I pray that in 2012 you adopt forgiveness.