Sibling Rivalry

How many of you have ever had your siblings hate you so much that they could not tolerate the thought of your existence? In fact, they hated you so deeply that they planned and carried out your fake death and eventually sold you into slavery. Most, if not all of us, have never had such an act take place against us. However, if this were to happen to you, would you be able to forgive those that so carefully ruined your life?

In Genesis, we meet a man named Joseph that was subject to all that has just been mentioned. He was his fathers favored son. He had been given more responsibility and power than the rest of his brothers. Even though he had been mistreated and left to die, Joseph makes it clear that he had no right to be angry or bitter against them. As a matter of fact, Joseph had a forgiving spirit that helped him overcome the problems that he faced. Genesis 50:20 says “ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.”

As God’s people, we must have this same mentality. We must look past the offense and realize that God is trying to develop character qualities in us as a result those actions. We must learn to pray for those who have hurt us and realize that we have no right to be bitter. Ask God to help you view the offense as His way of drawing attention to the needs of your offender.

We need more Christians like Joseph. Please understand that God is working all things together for good in order to conform your life to the image of Christ. Thank God for what He plans to do in our lives if we respond correctly when others do us harm