I was trying to go to sleep a couple of nights ago when a thought popped into my head. It's funny the things that come to you at night. A common saying is tossed back and forth in society. "Forgive but don't forget".
Now I ask you, if I'm a Christian aren't I supposed to forgive as God forgives?
David had a good knack at describing how awesome God is. He is merciful, just, and faithful even when I mess up.
As far as the east is from the west
so far has he removed our transgressions
from us. Psalm 103:12
When someone does me wrong, it takes a while for me to forgive them. I rant, rave, stay silent around them for a couple of hours or days (depending on the 'crime'). But, then I get over myself, realize God forgives me, and I forgive the person. I don't really remember it anymore. Sure, the scars are still there but Jesus had scars on his hands and feet from carrying our sins; I think a few scars on my heart during the course of my life is bearable, don't you?
Now this thing of not forgetting when someone wrongs us is a very tricky thing. If you truly forgive someone, don't you automatically forget? If you forgive but don't forget, you're still harboring hard feelings towards that person. Even when you think everything's perfectly fine, you'll remember and get mad all over again. You open your own wounds. In the quiet, while you sit and think, while you read and your mind wanders, those thoughts can and WILL come back to haunt you (mainly because Satan wants to get you down). The wounds open up; the feelings you had come back and you're mad all over again.
Is that truly forgiveness?
I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own
sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 43:25
If we are to be like Jesus, holy and pleasing to God, shouldn't we forgive like Him? Is this easy? Heck no! It wasn't meant to be easy. Jesus said some pretty heavy stuff and STILL says some pretty heavy stuff, if only we listen. Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. "Seven times?" he asked, thinking seven times was a good amount of times a brother could mess up until he could serve a punch. Jesus had a different answer. "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." In other words, we're supposed to forgive AND forget. Not forgive and not forget.
In order to do God's perfect and pleasing will He has for our lives, we can't be partial in forgiving our brothers and sisters, friends or foes. If we are to truly forgive, we must truly forget. When we forget, the slate is finally clean. God does that with us. Jesus comes in and washes us white as snow, squeaky clean.
Bear with each other
and forgive whatever grievances you
may have against one another. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:12
If we do not forget the wrongs our fellowman has done against us, how are we to fully live up to the potential the Lord God has for us? Cast off your burdens, your wounds and "haters" and surrender them to the Lord. Jesus wants us to live life to the fullest. By forgiving and forgetting, humbling ourselves before our Savior and letting bygones be GONE, we can then rise, take up our daily cross and follow our Jesus Christ strongly until the day we will be made over again. Perfect and complete in Jesus.
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