OFFICIAL SITE OF WOMEN UPLIFTING WOMEN MINISTRIES
And Women and Men Uplifting Ministries, International
Have You Really Forgiven! “And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45:4-5 As I read the life of Joseph, I thought how truly courageous a man this was. Although his brothers sold him into slavery, he never lost his sight of God, or his belief in God. With all that he went through, with each trial he faced, he was able to come out victorious and even stronger. Joseph was given a dream early on, and told it to his family which made his brothers very angry, they felt they were already second best in their father’s eyes, and now with the dreams Joseph was telling only fueled the fire. Those of us who have followed the lives of these brothers know that they could quickly become enraged and would do foolish things which not only hurt them, delayed the visions God had for his people, but also caused much damage to their family. These brothers that could so easily sale Joseph to the Egyptians based their existence not on love, but on their own power and might. Many times when we have dreams and visions given to us by God and as we tell others, we too have the same response as Joseph had with his brothers. Many think that God has already blessed us enough and it now should be their time to receive some of the gifts of God. If they could examine themselves, as Joseph’s brothers should have done, then they would realize they are blessed just in a different way. If they would learn to stand on the mercies of God, and not on their own power and might, they too would come to a place where God would be able to use them, and increase in their territory. There are times when we will be able to tell what God has purposed us to do, and other times when we will not be wise to reveal the visions or dreams God has given us. We will have to use discernment in telling of these things, so that we do not bring grief to others, which will cause them to bring harm to us. Getting back to this forgiveness thing, I explored my own inner feelings and wondered could I have forgiven as Joseph had his brothers. I really believe that I am a compassionate person, and because of my own personal trials and tribulations I have increased in my mercy for others, have gained more insight into people’s lives, and truly have a love for people. But would I be able to forgive a person that had placed me in a position of being oppressed for years, taken me away from my family, and thrown me with a people who did not understand me and who I did not understand. As I mulled this around in my mind, let it rest on my heart, and looked at it spiritually, I believe I would be able to forgive if I had not lost sight of God, never forgetting whose I was, and the purpose for my life. I would have to constantly remember the dreams and visions that God had given me to realize that the position I was currently in would not last always. I would also have to stand on the teachings of my father and his father before. In other words, I would have to have a base or a foundation, and without that foundation I perhaps would not have the compassion Joseph showed towards his brothers. I would also have had to be tried by the fire to come out as pure gold, in other words I would truly have had to gone through something as Joseph had done in order to feel the love, compassion and mercy needed to bestow on others. Yes, I believe complete forgiveness is possible if we realize that is what we ask of God for our own life. Truly it is a hard thing to forgive when you know what a person has purposed in their heart against you, and have even carried out their most devious assignment against you. However, if we are truly children of God and live by his Word, then we know we are not to look to the left nor the right, or behind, but to look forward with our eyes on the prize which is in Jesus Christ. If we truly believe that we are the heads of our life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and not the tail. That God blesses us in the city and in the country. That we shall be on the top and not the bottom, that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, if we truly believe in our hearts what our eyes have read, and our hearts have felt, then and only then can we forgive our brothers and sisters completely. As I examined my own heart and the purposes God has set for my life, I know without a doubt that in order for me to receive the blessings of God, I must release everything that will hold them back from reaching me. I must release forgiveness to those that I have found it impossible to forgive, so that not only can I be blessed, but that they can walk in God’s blessings as well. Let us this day examine ourselves, learn the lessons of Joseph, and forgive completely. I am because you are. |
