Last weekend I outlined five steps that one needs to take to turn the corner from regret to resolution. The first of which was to Recognize that God is Always at Work (Genesis 42:25-28). Joseph’s brothers had sold him for a mere 20 pieces of silver. But when they found that their money had been mysteriously returned, they became upset. The very thing they once desired was now detestable in their sight. As far as I can tell, Joseph returned the money as an act of grace. There were no soldiers in pursuit. Joseph would never mention it again. Later, when the brothers confessed it to Joseph’s servant, he shrugged it off (43:23). The brothers were so far from God they couldn’t even comprehend simple grace. Because they were not right with God, they feared even his goodness.
In the story, the brothers exclaim, “What is God doing to us?” They are doing more than asking a question. They’re making a statement. It might be of interest to you that this is their first mention of God in the entire narrative. For the first time they are acknowledging that God is controlling a specific and important circumstance in their lives. God is always at work, even when we cannot perceive it. Just because we are not aware of God’s activity does not mean he isn’t actively working!
Second, Face Reality (Genesis 42:29-35). When the brothers returned from Egypt they were honest with Jacob about the fate of Simeon. They hadn’t been honest with Jacob about Joseph, and still haven’t for that matter. But at least we can see they are beginning to come to terms with what is real. Last year I read a helpful book by Dr. Henry Cloud titled Integrity. Cloud defines integrity as “the courage to meet the demands of reality.” His supposition is that we can only advance in life and live in wholeness when we are grounded in the truth of what is real. When we are aware of what is real, then we can work constructively to deal with issues past, present, and for that matter, future.
Tomorrow I’ll continue this series with the third step on how to turn the corner from regret to resolution.
