I was hurt and deeply wounded by what had happened to me in my past.
Because of the destructive drug addiction and erratic behavior of my younger sibling, I felt justified in holding on to my twin sins of anger and resentment. Even after my conversion, I struggled to forgive
Then I read about Joseph’s response to his ten half-brothers who pleaded for forgiveness for betraying him two decades earlier: Am I in the place of God?
Joseph knew he wasn’t God and didn’t have the authority to withhold forgiveness. This simple yet profound statement was a powerful, undeniable truth I couldn’t ignore. I needed to forgive my brother. By withholding forgiveness, I had put myself in the place of God and remained trapped in unforgiveness too long. I had allowed this sin to gain ground in my heart.
God gently reminded me of my own past—fraught with disobedience, debauchery, and self-destructive behavior. God had not withheld forgiveness from me, so who was I to withhold it from my sibling. I forgave and experienced a sweet release and a restored relationship with my brother.
Like Joseph, we should not put ourselves in the place of God and deny others the thing which we have so graciously experienced ourselves: God’s unfailing forgiveness.
Forgive those you need to forgive, and find blessings—and a sweet release, beyond your wildest imagination and expectation.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Denise Kohlmeyer is a former journalist and freelance writer, having been published in Christianity Today and Today’s Christian Living magazines. She has also co-authored two books in the Clues for the Clueless series. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband, Dave, and their three children: Jocelyn, Jessica, and Daniel. You can follow her on Facebook. She is a regular contributor to Blogos.org.