As kids, we could look at certain foods and be convinced it would taste bad. And some foods can surprise us. Take, for example, an apple. Nothing tastes better than biting into a pretty red apple—and nothing tastes worse than discovering that apple is quite bitter! You don’t want someone snapping your picture at that moment because a screwed up face isn’t the best for a photo opportunity.

The face of bitterness is not attractive, yet many people wear that face today. Their bitter expressions are not because of unpleasant food, but because of painful moments in their past. We can wash away the bitter taste of bad food, but the bitterness that comes from the betrayal of others or our own bad decisions can rob us of our joy and prevent us from moving forward with God and others.

We can wash away the bitter taste of bad food, but the bitterness that comes from the betrayal of others or our own bad decisions can rob us of our joy and prevent us from moving forward with God and others.

Joseph displayed a different face. Joseph provides a pattern for us to follow, as he refused to be bitter. He chose to forgive and let his brothers “off the hook” for what they did to him. We, too, can choose to be bitter or better.