God has made me forget. Genesis 41:51

Joseph was thirty when he became governor of Egypt. He was seventeen when he was sold into slavery. For thirteen years he dealt with pain and confusion, maintained his character and his commitment to God, and allowed his trials to make him triumphant. So we can’t just throw in the towel, have a pity party, or sit around doing nothing. Joseph didn’t simply forget what happened. Anybody who tells us, “Just forget it” isn’t living in the real world. It happened, but God can use it to enrich our lives. God gave Joseph two sons: he named them Manasseh, which means “God has made me forget,” and Ephraim, which means “God made me fruitful in the land of my afflictions.” God gave Joseph new relationships to replace the old ones. One reason why old relationships may be destroying us, is that we haven’t replaced them with new ones. We’re hanging out with the wrong reminders. God helped Joseph to forget the pain of what happened. He still had the memory, but he prospered in spite of it. When we walk with God, the promise before us is always greater than the pain behind us.

Here are some “Joseph principles” to live by:

(1) Don’t try to ignore or pretend it never happened. God will give you the grace to handle it, not deny it.
(2) Believe that God can “make up to you” the time, the relationships and the opportunities you’ve lost (See Joel 2:25).
(3) List the people who have wronged you, forgive them and release them to God in prayer (See Col 3:13).
(4) Tell God you’re ready to start over. And start today!