FORGIVE AND FORGET
by Kathy Pegram

 

Psalm 103:12 says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (NIV)

This verse tells me that if we, as Christians, want to follow God, we have to follow His example of forgiveness. When God forgives, He forgives. He doesn't bring up your past failures to ridicule you and torment you. Oh, how we need to be more like Him!

We as human beings have a tendency to say we forgive, but yet we allow those seeds of remembrance to stay buried so that just in case the person who failed us fails us again, we can drudge up the ugly past. I once heard someone make the statement, "Oh, yes, I'll forgive them. But, I'll never forget. And, I'll make sure somewhere down the line they get what they deserve." How sad that we carry bitterness and unforgiveness around with us like that. But sadly, we do. We let it fester and grow until it gets out of hand.

Unforgiveness divides so many families, friends, marriages, churches, and partnerships in business, etc., etc. If we are to follow God's example though, we have got to become more forgiving and more forgetful.

As you read this, I'm sure you along with myself have someone who has in the past hurt you or even maybe is presently hurting you. If that person should ask for our forgiveness, and we want to be like Christ, we must forgive them, and then with God's help, forget about what they did. That means we can't drudge it up as ammunition every time we get upset with them. God forgave us and if we are to be one with Him and in Him, we must learn to forgive as He did. May we all become more like our heavenly Father.

 

Love And Prayers,
Kathy