Esau wasn't all bad!

Here is my Life Journal Entry for the day. I'm so excited that so many are joining us in this year long adventure in 2012!

41 From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.” Genesis 27:41

I read this and thought that there are a couple of good things about Esau. We tend to think of Esau as a rough, angry hunter who was so impulsive that he sold his birthright for a cup of soup. But he had some good qualities.

1. Even though he was very angry with Jacob for stealing from him, he was considerate enough of his father's feelings that he refused to kill Jacob until his father was dead. He said in this passage that he was going to wait until after his father's death and after the traditional mourning period to kill Jacob.

2. When Jacob meets Esau years later, it is obvious that Esau had moved past his bitterness and built a successful life. He wasn't consumed by bitterness, but learned to forgive.

I will try and practice these two qualities. I will consider the feelings of others. I won't allow bitterness to consume me, but lay it down so that I can go on and live happily.