Forgive and Forget? Has the “forgive and forget” mindset caused you to live with any burdens that arent yours to carry? How has God used the memory of painful experiences to make more merciful to others? 2 Corinthians 5:19 says – “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the ministry of reconciliation.” A SECOND MISCONCEPTION that clouds people’s ability to live in forgiveness is that forgiveness means forgetting. But see it in terms of God’s forgiveness of us. How could the One who knows everything forget anything?.....let’s pause and think about this. The Bible never says God forgets our sins, even though He has flung them “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12). He simply has chosen not to “remember them against us (Heb 10:17), not to bring them back up again, or to accuse and condemn us with them. Choosing not to remember isnt the same as forgetting. The fact that you have not been able to forget the offense doesnt necessarily mean you haven’t forgiven it. But why wouldnt God make this tidier? Couldnt He just purge these negative thought and painful memories from our minds? He could, of course. But He doesnt always choose to do so. One reason is that the memory of past hurts can provide a powerful platform for ministry to other hurting people. If we could not remember how it feels to be damaged by the blows of sin and injustice, how could we relate to the pain that people around us are experiencing? Those memories help us realize how easy it can be for someone to give way to anger and resentment. They give us the ability to look others in the eye and say, “I’ve been there. I know it hurts terribly. But I also know that His grace is sufficient for you.” Thank God, of course, that He mercifully chooses to withdraw some past wounds from our memory bank. But thank Him, too, when He leaves behind enough to make you useful in ministering to others.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 09:43:02 +0000
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