Forgive and Forget: The Christian Way of Life
Forgive and forget. Those words can be easier said than done. Holding on to offenses only harms you, not them. How many times have we heard those words. And how many times have we wanted to slap the person who dares to utter them in our time of offense.
However, to forgive and forget is a choice that we make. The choice to forgive and forget must be made on purpose. And it must be made independent of whether we “feel” better about the situation that offended us or not.
Forgetting Those Things Which Are Behind
During “Date Night”, my wife and I watched a classic movie within our home called 50 First Dates. One of the supporting characters in the movie was nicknamed 10 Second Ted. 10 Second Ted was a patient in a mental hospital. What made Ted unique was that he was only able to remember 10 seconds of his past. His mind ran on a continuous loop, storing only 10 seconds of past information.
[pullquote]Develop short term memory when offended. Learn to live the forgive and forget lifestyle and refuse to hold on to offenses.[/pullquote]
One funny scene from the movie shows Ted enthusiastically introducing himself to another character in the movie. The other character immediately begins verbally abusing Ted. But by the time Ted starts to get angry over the verbal assault, all the offenses are erased from his mind. With all offenses forgotten, Ted begins introducing himself once again. He had the same upbeat, sincere attitude that he had began the conversation with 10 seconds earlier.
How great it would be if we as Christians could adopt some of the “mental deficiencies” that Ted had. Imagine being able to forgive and forget like Ted was able to in the movie. Or imagine being able to acknowledge our sins. Confess them before God according to 1 John 1:9. Then move on, living life free from the guilt, shame and condemnation of our own offenses.
Accepting Grace and Moving On
As a Police Officer, I wrote plenty of traffic tickets over my 17 year career. I’d like to think that I was fair in my judgments regarding those who broke the law. In the overwhelming majority of my traffic stops, I let the motorist off with a warning. Those who received warnings instead of tickets were very appreciative. These drivers acknowledged that they broke the law and “forgiveness” was extended to them. I doubt if they went the rest of the day under a cloud of guilt for driving over the speed limit. In fact, most of us would say that there is something wrong with a person who was feeling bad about a traffic violation that took place a week, month, or even a year ago.
But when we sin, and are forgiven by God of that sin, we let the enemy rub our face in it and keep us from enjoying the grace of God that is extended to us. 1 John 1:9 tells us how to handle our sins. In fact God tells us that He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When you sin, run to God not away from Him. Let Him cleanse you in His blood. And after taking care of your sin with God, take the all-important moment to forgive yourself. Then be like Ted and FORGET ABOUT IT. No sin is so terrible that God’s grace won’t cover it. Don’t allow the enemy to keep you living in a state of broken relationship with God. Isaiah 43:25
Learn to Live the Forgive and Forget Lifestyle
Develop short term memory when offended. Learn to live the forgive and forget lifestyle. Refuse to hold on to offenses. And most importantly, begin to live the forgive and forget lifestyle where your own sin is concerned. As your offenses are dealt with by God, He remembers them no more. Follow His example. Once forgiven, learn to forget.
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