Broken relationships hurt. They are never God’s way and the hole in our heart never goes away. The story of Joseph offers the best insight into a right response to broken relationships. I would love to hear your thoughts!
2MefromHim Devotionals
Broken Relationships
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27, 28
Broken relationships. Disagreements hurt emotionally, disturb sleep, and create unanswerable questions. At times, prayers seem to bounce off ceilings and searching for answers feels like grasping at fog.
When faced with a serious dilemma, a godly man reminded me of Joseph. Attacked by jealous brothers and thrown into a dry cistern, they plotted to kill him. His questions must have circled like vultures, sharp beaks pecking away, leaving painful wounds that pierced his heart. Often, our most difficult dilemmas, the deepest wounds come from those who possess the greatest power to hurt, those we love.
Joseph’s brother Judah saved him from death but his sentence was banishment in the form of slavery. How he must have agonized through hot days in a dusty caravan and nights in the desert chill. Each day carried him further from his life as a favored son. In a foreign land with a strange language and customs he was tempted and tried, spent years forgotten and neglected, then suddenly elevated to a position of prominence. Whenever he seemed to have found a measure of peace and comfort, relationships went bad again, and prison resulted.
The constant in Joseph’s life was his walk with the Lord. Scripture repeats the phrases, “The Lord was with Joseph,” “the Lord gave him success,” and his masters recognized something special in him. Joseph prospered through faithfulness despite his circumstances, his willingness to serve others though he possessed nothing of his former position.
Wherever he went, Joseph honored God in humiliation as he did in prosperity. No matter the task, he worked as if serving the Lord and God was faithful in return. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” (Colossians 3:23, 24) His attitude brought blessing to those around him.
Becoming angry when relationships go bad prevents me seeing the blessings that could result if I trusted God and waited on him. No one enjoys disrespect, lies, and mistreatment. I have cried out for understanding and sought to right the wrongs directed toward me. I have chaffed at the humiliation of unfair treatment.
When Joseph met his brothers many years later, he forgave, and refused to retaliate in anger. Lord, help me learn the lesson of Joseph and extend grace when relationships go bad. Enable me to say as he did, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good….” (Genesis 50:20)
© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, May 25, 2108
About the author:
Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 41 years. They have two adult children. If you’re interested in connecting with her, follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon.
6 Comments
Nicely penned.
Thank you and God bless!
It’s SO hard to lay it down and not try to fix things ourselves. It’s a tough lesson. I wonder what Joseph’s brothers thought about their actions as time went on. Surely it crossed their minds from time to time. Maybe they felt remorse or shame as God revealed their sin. Maybe they even agonized over the sorrow they caused their father, but after they came to their senses, didn’t know how to make it right again. But God 🙂 We never know what God is doing behind the scenes on behalf of His loved ones. But this I know: He fights our battles well when we surrender to His leadership. I love you my precious friend and I’m praying for you.
God is so faithful to work, even when we cannot see anything happening. You are in my prayers as well, dear Nan!
Beautifully crafted statement. God sends the right message to the right people during troubled times. If humblhumble and open to His message, blessings follow. The difficult part is being truly open to His message, and to engage required changes.
Thank you, Susan. God always knows what we need and the means to communicate it, doesn’t He. I struggle with the humility it requires, but God is so faithful to lead us by the hand.