The Pain of Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness continues the spread of infection throughout your body and into the generations coming from you. Keep Reading...

Genesis 37:3-4 - Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Favortism in Israel's family line did so much damage. Abraham favored Isaac. Isaac favored Esau. Jacob favored Joseph (and his mother, Rachel). Pain that was caused by the cruelty of favortism reveals itself throughout the book of Genesis and beyond.

All those who were not the favored ones, including Jacob himself, had a choice to forgive the offender or not. Where forgiveness was not extended, pain was multiplied. It’s very likely that Jacob carried on the sin of favortism out of the unforgiven rejection of his childhood.

Jacob's sons felt their father's rejection deeply. They turned it into hatred for the favored son, Joseph. They couldn’t even speak one kind word to him. How did that start? It was the rejection of the father that caused the wounding.

Our response to rejection has great implications for the generations that come after us. If we choose not to forgive, we will necessarily wound those that come after us. Rejection begins the pain. Unforgiveness multiplies the pain into the whole family line.

Who will stop the infection of rejection? You can. It begins with a choice to forgive the offender. Jesus forgave you. So also he tells you to forgive. Matthew 6:14-15 Forgiveness not only heals the pain, but it breathes new life into those that come after you.

Make the choice. Forgive.