The power of forgiveness (3)

When Joseph forgave his brothers for how they'd treated him, he also made sure to say, 'Do not be angry with yourselves' (Genesis 45:5 NIV). He shifted their focus to God, helping them to see God's bigger plan for his life and theirs. When others forgive us, we can smile and nod thanks, but then so quickly fall back on our sense of shame. Painful? Yes. Not-a-nice-place-to-live? Yes. So, so easy to slip into? Sadly, yes.

God allows us to move past our sins to become better people and do the life-giving and life-bringing things he has planned for us. Paul, once known as Saul, was involved with killing Christians in the 1st Century. Yet, he was forgiven and became a Christian himself. He faced his past, was accepted, and then had to go back to preach to an audience of the families of those he had persecuted. That must have been massively hard, for all involved. Paul had to forgive himself and accept God's grace to do what he was called to do. Otherwise, talking to those families, seeing their pain, may have destroyed him.

Get the picture? Letting go is all part of being obedient to God: he's forgiven us and paid the cost already. He doesn't want us to live with shame and regret; he has better things planned.



So what now? Past behaviour left you ashamed? Time-out. Take yourself, and a Bible, somewhere private and chat about it with God. 'Do not be angry with [yourself]' (Genesis 45:5 NIV). Forgive yourself!





— SCRIPTURE —

'Do not be angry with yourselves.' Genesis 45:5 NIV
— SOULFOOD —

Deut 32:29-34:12, Matt 10:11-20, Ps 49, Pro 12:20-22