June 23, 1999
FAMILY MATTERS:
How can I forget as well as forgive?
___
I know the Bible says you're supposed to forgive your enemies, but how can I ever forget what they've done to me?
DEBBIE CHISOLM
Minister to Youth
First Baptist Church
Duncanville
___You're right! The Bible does teach us--the Lord teaches us--that we are supposed to forgive our enemies.
___In fact, it's not just our enemies that we're to forgive, but also our friends, family and anyone else who does something to offend us. Our relationships with people have an impact on the way we relate to the Lord.
___When Jesus was teaching the Sermon on the Mount, he told the people that if they go to the altar to present a gift to God and remember that someone has something against them, they are to leave their gift at the altar and first go and make amends with that person. Then they can return and offer their gift.
___One of the things you need to understand about forgiving is that forgiveness is a process. It's not just something that you decide to do, and poof it happens! It's a process that is initiated and made possible by the Holy Spirit within us. Even the desire to forgive comes from God.
___Sometimes, in the beginning, the best you can do is ask God to cause you to want to forgive. Willingness and openness begin the process. Being able to see others and forgive others the way God sees and forgives us is "God work" and not done by the will or strength of man.
___As we journey through the process of forgiving, we should remember that forgiving doesn't mean we condone the offense or we allow the actions to continue, but it does mean we don't harbor anger and desire for revenge.
___Forgetting is probably the final stage of forgiving. It may not happen until long after the anger and hurt have gone away.
___Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could forget the way God does? Isaiah 43:25 says that God wipes away our sins and then doesn't ever remember them again! Our relationships with enemies and friends alike would be so different if we could forget like that.
___When someone hurts us or betrays us or in some way offends us, forgetting may seem impossible. But with time and with God, we can someday come to the place where we can "forget the former things; and not dwell on the past," and we will be able to see that God is "doing a new thing" in our hearts (Isaiah 43:18-19).
___All you have to do is be patient and willing to let the Spirit do what only the Spirit can do --help us forgive and forget!
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!
