“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20
Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph found himself in Egypt where he was falsely accused of rape and imprisoned. Even his fellow inmates who promised to help him failed to remember Joseph when they were released. See Genesis 37-50.
Incredibly, nowhere in the Bible do we see Joseph angry, bitter, resentful, or vengeful. When he finally meets up with his brothers, they are so afraid Joseph will seek revenge. The amazing truth is Joseph had long forgiven his brothers for mistreating him. With tears in his eyes, he tenderly tells them he has forgiven them. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says they meant to harm him, but God used those circumstances for good. God brought about the salvation of Egypt and neighboring nations like Israel during seven years of famine because of Joseph and the power and wisdom that God had invested in him.
When we’ve been hurt by someone, it’s easy to hold a grudge. We feel in control and less vulnerable when we are angry. But when we don’t forgive, we create a spiritual Alcatraz in which the only prisoner is us. Anger, bitterness, and resentment hold us hostage, negatively impacting our lives and spilling over into the lives of those close to us.
The key to unlocking this prison is realizing that even though someone intended to harm us, God can and does use these experiences for our good. The “good” is how God uses our pain to draw us closer into relationship with Him as He creates in us the person He wants us to become. Romans 5:3-4 says “we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” When we forgive, we are free to live our lives as God would want us to live, without this weight of unforgivingness wrapped around our ankles like a ball and chain. We are free to become the person we are meant to be. We have hope.
I may not be thankful for these negative experiences, but I am thankful that God has taken them and turned them into good. Choosing to forgive unlocks the prison of anger, bitterness, and resentment so I can live freely and fully with God at peace with myself and with others. It is truly by His grace that we can forgive as we have been forgiven by God through Jesus Christ. And that reality, like Joseph forgiving his brothers, is the amazing truth!
Lord, thank You for forgiving my sins. May I freely forgive others as You have freely forgiven me. Set me free from this prison of an unforgiving spirit as only Your grace can do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Text and photo copyright © 2016 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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