Forgetting

Yesterday I wrote about remembering. It is obviously very important to remember significant people, experiences and lessons which come our way throughout our lives. Some things should be remembered, and other things are best forgotten.


Despite the saying we've all heard since we were kids that we must "forgive and forget", that's actually not a biblical concept. Yes, we are to forgive. But there are times when it is wise to remember the lessons learned in circumstances even after we have forgiven someone for their offense.

However, there are times when we must let go of things other people have done to us. If we carry those things with us, we allow them to justify and perpetuate our pain and unforgiveness. If someone has hurt you and are truly repentant, forgive them and let it go. I know. Easier said than done. Trust me, I know. But hanging on to the mistake someone made chains each of you to it. In some cases, the other person has made their peace by asking forgiveness, and when you hold on to it, you are the only one still bound. I read a quote not long ago that said unforgiveness is like drinking poison hoping the other person dies from it.

Once again, we're approaching the end of another calendar year. This is a common period for us to take some inventory of our lives. It's a time when we mentally, physically and spiritually try to tie up loose ends so we can start the coming year with a clean slate. If there is someone in your life for whom you carry unresolved resentment, let it go. In releasing it, you're liberating yourself from a prison cell to which you hold the key.

There are quite a few scriptures about God's forgiveness of each one of us. He is the only one who can truly take our sins out of the record book. It is said that He will throw our sins into the "depths of the sea", (Micah 7:19), and that He will wipe out our transgressions, (Isaiah 43:25). Psalm 103:12 even says He will throw them as far as the east is from the west. 

Forgetting can be a very powerful ally in your life when applied properly and promptly.