United? We Pray Special: John Onwuchekwa on Forgiveness (Genesis 45:1-8)
At the 2019 JUST Gospel Conference, John Onwuchekwa exposits one of the most puzzling and impactful stories of reconciliation in the Scriptures. Meditating on Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers, Onwuchekwa concludes that if you’re ever going to move past your past hurts, from frustration to forgiveness, you have to remember two things: 1) God’s part in your story and 2) Your place in His.
We all want to move past our pasts, particularly the pain in our pasts. The world may offer vain comforts, such as “time heals all wounds.” But the Scriptures, while not ignoring or minimizing our pain, offer a surer hope. Speaking to the bad posture our souls may have in light of our past pain, Onwuchekwa encourages us to look out and up vs. down and inward so that we might forgive as we’ve been forgiven. After all, “Nursing a grudge is like scratching chickenpox; it brings temporary relief but leaves lasting scars.” Come and be encouraged to rehearse God’s goodness more than other’s offenses because God’s plan make a lot more sense in hindsight.
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