A Bigger Story

 "But Joseph replied, 'Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." Genesis 50

"Well, that was humiliating", I thought to myself. I was embarrassed, which quickly went to anger. I did my best to present a front that I didn't care and attempted to laugh it off. I waited way too long to obey God and forgive this person. If someone who is in authority over asks you to do something that is uncomfortable, it's hard to say, "No." Today, I would. Through that, God taught me how important it is to make sure to respect the dignity of all people. 

Even after their reunion and years lived together in peace, Joseph's brothers always thought he would pay them back for their evil. Joseph never did. His eyes and heart were always attentive to what God was doing. As a slave, he understood his position in the master's house as God-appointed, so he served well. In prison, he saw his success as God's blessing, so he led well. When Pharoah called, he gave all glory to God.

It's really hard to recognize God's hand when the person or people right in front of us are being significantly less than kind. Injustices, real or imagined, put us on the fast track to bitterness. Bitterness is a poison we drink thinking we're going to hurt the person who hurt us. It's crazy. It's blinding. It's stunting. To grow to be like Jesus, we must, like Joseph and Jesus, understand our lives, including our suffering, as part of a much bigger story.

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