It’s Pays to Forgive (Part 1)

 It Pays To Forgive (Part 1)

In today’s society there are many things that we do not have enough of. One of those things is forgiveness. In the bible we had one man that no matter what was done to him, he always forgave. Forgiveness means to pardon; to give up resentment of; to cease to feel resentment against. If we had more people like that I wonder what this world would be like. Joseph weakness is our strength. In terms of when he could have fought back he didn’t. Also I realized that his strength is our weakness. Joseph was able to forgive when we find it real hard to do that.

Joseph was one of the twelve children of Jacob. He was loved more than all of Jacob’s children, because he was the son of his old age. When his brethren saw that his father loved him more, they hated him. Once Jacob gave him the coat of many colors, they hated him even more (Gen. 37:3-4). We have people like that in the world today.  Joseph brothers plotted against him because of their hatred for him. They put him a pit and later sold him into slavery. There are people today that because of their dislike or hatred for others, they are trying to find ways to hurt that individual in some way. For example, if a person received a promotion that they feel was undeserved; they will sit and plot ways in order to get that person fired. Another example is in the church you always have this one person that believes what they want is the way that things should go. It’s either their way or no way at all. If someone comes in to challenge them they start thinking of ways to get that person out of their church. The scripture says that “In our lives we must think and act like Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5).’’

During these passages of scripture not one time does it say that Joseph had any bad feelings toward his brothers? He forgave and loved them anyway. Today, if someone does anything to us, even something as trivial as stepping on our foot accidentally we hold a grudge, and want forgive. In the Bible the scripture says, “If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you (Col. 3:13).”

During Joseph’s life his brothers weren’t the only ones that did him wrong. Potiphar’s wife had Joseph thrown into prison when he wouldn’t make love with her. Joseph could have told Potiphar that his wife approached him, but just like Jesus he never said a mumbling word. He could have let bitterness be his prison also. We have people that have let bitterness be their prison. You can look at them. They are victims of betrayal and abuse. They are stilled chained to the walls, because they cannot forgive. You can choose to, like many, to remain chained to your hurt or you can choose, like some, to put away those hurts and forgive. “If you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins (Matt. 6:14).”

While in prison Joseph encountered two men. Both men worked under Pharoah. One man was the chief butler and the other was the chief baker. Each man had a dream in which Joseph interpreted. The only thing that Joseph asked for was that the chief butler remembered him, but the chief butler forgot him. Joseph remained in prison before the chief butler thought of him again. Yet he did not have any ill feelings toward him. We sometimes let hatred sour our outlook on things and break our backs. The load is simply too heavy for us to bear. It causes our knees to buckle under the strain, and our hearts to break beneath the weight. The wisest choice-the only choice-is for you to drop any anger or hatred that you may have. You will never be called upon to give anyone more grace that God has already given you. “Do not be bitter or angry or mad (Eph. 4:31).”