Forgive and forget?

[sparky]

Its a common used term isnt it?To forgive and forget.The trouble is we can do one but the other is nigh impossible.

When someone wrongs us for whatever reason and they seek our forgiveness,we can hand on heart tell them that they are forgiven.We may even say "lets forget about it" but the truth of the matter is as humans we simply cant.Often we may be wronged by a person more than once and chances are your mind will spring back to previous occasions because it is so hard to forget.

So what can we do about this?

We know that in all things we try our very hardest to walk in the footsteps of Christ.Because of that perfect role model we never actually match his step but continually strive to imitate it as closely as we can.The whole concept of forgiving and forgetting is no different.

When we lay our sins before the Lord in a heartfelt repentant manner not only does he grant us unconditional forgiveness but through his perfect qualities he forgets in the very real sense of the word.Every day we can be completely washed clean,the Lord never hold anything against us because the matter has been forgotten.Have you felt that sense of release when you have unburdened yourself to God?That is forgiveness and forgetting our sins in action and why we can approach every new day with a clean slate.

I just thought this was an interesting way of looking at things when dealing with our brothers and sisters.When times arise that we have been wronged we pray for help in forgiving the wrongdoer but also to forget aswell.As lond as we keep aspiring to that bench mark of perfection we cant go to far wrong.

 

[TDS52]

Forgiveness can be turned into forgetfulness by choice. If/when the hurt pops back up in our mind-and it will-remind the devil, that for Christ's sake and brotherly love's sake you have chosen to forget...soon it will be gone and forgotten. I already know that because of what I have just written that the devil will bring some "old hurts" to mind-in fact, already has-but I have chosen to give them to Jesus. HE has them buried in the deepest of the sea of His forgetfulness, why should I waste valuable time swimming/diving for them?

 

[lnrobar]

Yes, God will forgive and forget, but the devil does not. I do not want to give the devil the credit for anything by far, but tis true. I was in a situation that is somewhat hard to forgive. But you know, when we pray for forgivness and to be able to forgive, we are sincere, and we do. But when we get around that person again, we do not feel changed, and we have rememberances of what they did. The devil uses those feelings to tell you that you have not forgiven that person. God revealed to me today that we cannot let our feelings determine our spiritual level. Yes, the Bible says walk by faith and not by sight or feeling alone. But we should not act like we do not feel at all. We just cannot depend on our feelings.
Like in my heart, I feel I haven't forgiven my step-brother, but God tells me I have. I was praying about this for a long while now, and just today, God has confirmed my prayers. If I act on my feelings, I would be a miserable person! For say I woke up and said, "I do not feel like going to work today, or I do not feel like praying." I would be absolutley miserable. We can have feelings, but not act on them.
When I am not around my step-brother, I feel at peace and safety in my heart that I truley did forgive Him, but when I am around him, I hate what he did. I do not want to be there for fear of him doing it again. But feeling that way does not mean I haven't forgiven. I did I just don't like him.
So we can forgive a person and not feel changed at all, but if we meant in our hearts, then God will do the rest.