027 Joseph: When Your Family Fails You

One of the sad realities of life is that we all get wounded. You can’t live in this world without getting hurt. But an even sadder reality is that much of that wounding comes from those who are supposed to love us most – our family. 

That was certainly true for Joseph. And in this episode, Joseph is forced to face his past when his brothers show up out of the blue – the ones who had sold him into slavery. 

Joseph thought he had put all that behind him. He just wanted to forget the flawed family that had failed him so. 

But God had other ideas. See, God not only wants your whole heart, He wants your heart whole. When He sees a heart fractured by childhood pain, rather than ignore it, He actively seeks to heal it. 

Why? Because He knows that wounded people will wound people. We tend to live out of our wounds and then pass on the effects of our wounds to others – especially those closest to us. 

But God also knows that healed people can heal people. Your past does not need to define your future.  And what your family did to you does not have to have the last word. You can be the agent of healing in your family.

How do you start that healing process? First of all, talk to God about it.  Revealing is the key to healing. Then bring others into it. Safe, spiritual friends and counselors are essential in the journey of healing our wounded hearts. 

Text: Genesis 41-42

Originally recorded April 14, 2012, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.