Shoud You Argue?

The story of Joseph in Egypt is classic. Poor guy had a roller coaster experience. He'd gone from the pit to Potipher, to prison, to Pharough. Somehow on this bumpy ride, he kept his faith. He'd had those dreams where his brothers bowed down to him. Perhaps he bolstered his faith with remembering those early days and believing the events would happen in the future.

You know the story. A famine came, Joseph was in charge of Egypt's food suppy, and the brothers came to buy grain, but they didn't recognize their Joseph.

Joseph tested their attitudes but finally revealed himself to them as the brother they'd sold into slavery.

After Joseph made himself known to these guys who'd wanted him gone, he sent them back to Canaan to get Jacob, the father. Now here's an interesting part of the story.  Joseph said to them before they left, "Don't argue."

As he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving, he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" Gen. 45:26.

Isn't that funny? As in laughable funny?

Joseph was a smart man. He knew the men would fuss among themselves as they made their way back to Canaan. Each one would blame the other. 

"If you hadn't...."
"You should have...."
"It's your fault...."

"If I hadn't..."

We do that, don't we? Blame ourselves or others for past sins and mistakes? We argue about who did what and why. We waste time and create additional heartache and havoc by doing that.

Take Joseph's words and apply them. 

Let the past stay in the past. Don't look in the rearview mirror. Onward from this day into the next. We learn from the past, but we don't need to live there.