When Family Weighs You Down - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 25
When Family Weighs You Down
By Aaron D’Anthony Brown
Bible Reading:
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a long-sleeved robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him.” (Genesis 37:3-4, CSB)
“We’re supposed to get along,” Dad used to say a lot to my sisters and me growing up. That reminded him to prioritize our family bond over any reason for strife. Whenever I asked “Why?” with childish curiosity, my father answered: “We’re family.”
Since those youthful days, I’ve sometimes wondered why we should remain committed to family despite all odds. I’ve wondered while observing how family members turn on each other, gossip, and cause drama.
Today, however, the answer to my question is much clearer. We should value our households because God esteems the family unit. One great example that makes the case is the story of Joseph and his brothers.
In Genesis 37, Scripture introduces us to Joseph as a boy who receives prophetic dreams. His flesh and blood turn on him after sharing these visions with his brothers. First, they consider killing him before settling on just selling him into slavery. Not only did Joseph’s siblings commit the initial atrocity, but as later passages reveal, they also kept up the ruse for years to avoid any consequences. They only came clean when a famine hit the land, and circumstances forced them to accept their sin. By then, Joseph was a young man whom Pharoah placed in charge of all of Egypt. The story concludes with reconciliation, forgiveness, and a bond between brothers that is surprisingly rekindled.
Like Joseph, we don’t get to pick our families; thus, we often don’t choose what kind of problems they drag us into. While prophecies may not be the reason family weighs you down, other circumstances are to blame. Some trivial, some quite significant. If we are to learn from Joseph, how exactly do we stay afloat when family weighs us down?
Intersecting Faith & Life:
There are several takeaways from the story of Joseph that we can implement into our familial relations.
Talk to God
Hearing prayer as a response to your circumstances probably sounds like a cliché, but the cliché rings true. Joseph never lost his relationship with God throughout the hardships. His faith kept him in line with God’s will and proved that what the Lord showed him through dreams came to fruition. That’s a reminder to us to trust God. Whatever the situation, God promises His presence and peace if we seek Him. God knows that family can be complicated, but His power is greater than any difficulty.
Communicate
As you seek God for direction, consider also talking to your family. Sometimes, people don’t realize their behavior or words negatively impact you. Avoiding confrontation may feel comfortable in the moment, but this does nothing but exacerbate the issue. Instead, talk to your parents, child, sibling, whoever, and find a solution. The beauty of communication is that even if you don’t come up with something, at the very least, you understand one another better.
Listen Well
When you reach out to family to share what’s troubling you, don’t see communication simply as an opportunity to voice your concerns. Relationships function when two people work together. Therefore, take the time not just to give feedback but also to receive some as well. You are likely not as blameless in the situation as you may have thought.
Seek Forgiveness
As experience teaches, families can say or do things that leave indelible marks on us. Trauma that we end up sorting out through counseling and prayer. Even if this is your situation, know that healing is possible. When we forgive those who hurt us, we stop allowing them to live in our minds. We also prevent ourselves from dwelling on negative emotions. God forgives those who forgive, so be sure you do your part to move forward as best you can.
Trust God
Family relations can be absolutely beautiful or downright disparaging. We don’t always know what we’ll get each day, especially if we come from tumultuous families. Yet, even when relatives prove unreliable, God shows Himself to be consistent. He proves Himself to be good, reliable, and always loving. Like Joseph, trust Him to get you through your ordeal, relying on your connection to Him and other relationships He sends you.
Further Reading:
Exodus 20:12
Psalm 27:10
Ephesians 6:4
1 Timothy 5:8
Matthew 5:38-39
Matthew 10:35-37
Matthew 18:15-17
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Halfpoint
Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
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