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Start with Kindness
October 20th, 2024
Genesis 50:15-21
As Genesis demonstrates, Joseph and his brothers had a complicated relationship. The short version is this: The brothers had been nasty to Joseph, and Joseph had suffered. Now, with their father, Jacob, dead, the brothers feared Joseph would seek revenge.
Did Joseph dream of ways he could respond to his brothers’ awful actions? Revenge entices when we’ve been hurt by others. In the end, however, his response was the opposite of what his brothers expected. He provided for them and “spoke kindly to them” (v. 21).
Joseph’s example illustrates an important lesson: No matter our preferred response, we can choose kindness. Kindness is always an option. As Ephesians 4:32 urges us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Kindness nudges the door open so we can begin the work of repairing relationships. Sometimes, like Joseph and his brothers, we simply need a place to start.
Author: Joann Shade
