Beloved sister,
Is it the friend who betrayed you? Or could it be the relative who defamed your character? Is it the co-worker you sit next to every day, or the church member you dread seeing? Chances are, there is someone in your life that you need to forgive, to move past bitterness. We all, in our flesh, are prone to holding a grudge, and withholding the love that is due our friends, relatives, and neighbors. And yet as Christians, we are called to a radical life of forgiveness. But how, you ask? When the pain is so big, and the reasons for extending grace and forgiveness seem so small in comparison, what then? You don’t understand what I’ve been through, you protest! And perhaps I do not, but can I offer a word of encouragement? Christ forgave you, when you were His enemy, and because HE suffered for us in every way, without sin, He will see us ALL through this challenging process of forgiveness. Let’s take a walk through the life of Joseph for some answers….
Was Joseph without sin? As a young man, and the favorite of his father, Joseph made some choices that were perhaps not as wise as could be. Telling his brothers of his dreams of greatness not once, but twice, was a good way to incite anger in them, which eventually led to the poor treatment he received. No, his brothers were certainly not justified in what they did, but can we take to heart what we see here? That perhaps there is some fault on our part, as well as on the part of the ones who have sinned against us? Can we commit to reflection, even if our imperfections were very small in comparison to how we were sinned against? Searching my own heart and seeing my faults often makes forgiveness easier to work through.
We all suffer greatly, but our Savior is Greater…. He was left for dead, sold into slavery, twice imprisoned, and slandered in character, to name a few things that Joseph endured. We all have our laundry list of ways we have been sinned against. I am not here to belittle what you have suffered dear sister, but do you, like me, often rehearse in your mind what has been done to you, in sin? Reach out to your compassionate Savior instead, who suffered to the point of death, in perfect innocence. Though our sufferings may be great, there is One who has suffered greater, and will walk with us through the darkest valleys.
The love of God breaks Joseph’s heart…. In Genesis 45, we see how Joseph’s love for his brothers finally won over, and he wept as he declared his identity. While we do not see what transpired in the heart of Joseph, it is obvious that God was at work, bringing him to this point of deep forgiveness and grace towards those who had sinned against him. We even see how they dined together in fellowship. How can we arrive at this point? This is only possible by the grace of God. As we daily offer our hurts to the Lord, He is able to change our hearts and bring us to the point of radical forgiveness.
There is hope for you and me…. My dear sister, perhaps this has been a painful letter to read, as you struggle to know how you can come to the point of forgiving your enemies. But may I encourage you—not one of us is able to forgive, apart from knowledge of how we have been forgiven. As we humble ourselves before an Almighty God, admit our own sin, and embrace the forgiveness we are offered in Christ, we will become radical ‘dispensers of Grace’…. ambassadors in the great Kingdom of Love.
Your forgiven sister,
Ruth