Devotion 

Forgiveness 

Frances Taylor 

Joseph is a lot more forgiving than I'm afraid I would be. Joseph not only forgives his brothers but sees God's hand in allowing their sin to bring good out of evil. How do we look at sins committed against us? Can we find any good that has come from them? I can remember losing a job because of the lies of a co-worker. It was devastating at the time, and yet it led to my being able to live out one of my childhood dreams and then to some of the happiest years of my life. The co-worker lost her job soon after. There are so many times when if we look back we can see how God is working. We also can see how a lack of forgiveness can cause damage to families, communities and beyond. I've seen this with divorce where one or both parents try to turn their child against the other parent. This can damage the child but also the parents themselves and their families. Forgiveness might not be easy, but ongoing hostility and anger can cause physical as well as psychological damage. I'm sure you have seen this among your friends if not in your own family. We need to learn from Joseph. If we are having problems forgiving, we can ask God to help us. We ask God to forgive us, and he will also help us forgive others as he wants us to be free of the bonds that not forgiving keep us bound.

Prayer 

Lord, we thank you for your willingness to forgive us. Please give us the graces we need to forgive those who have sinned against us. Amen.