This is a very important message.
Ephesians 4:32–And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
People like to say, “I can forgive, but I cannot forget.” Have you heard that before? Now, in the first place, nowhere in the Bible does God tell you to forgive and then to forget. It is not in the Bible! The devil is adding something here to make the whole thing burdensome.
God only tells us to forgive because God in Christ has forgiven us a debt we cannot pay. When we forgive, we do ourselves a favor because harboring bitterness and unforgiveness can sometimes destroy our health!
So just forgive and let God take care of the rest. When you really forgive, God sometimes erases the memory. Or, you still may remember the incident if it was a major thing in your life, but the pain associated with the memory is no longer there. The sting is gone and you are not bitter! Thank you, Lord!
Remember the story of Joseph? He had forgiven his brothers before they came and bowed before him. He remembered what they did to him, but he did not remember it with bitterness. (Genesis 50:15–21) So you may remember the incident, but the bitterness is gone because you have put the cross in the picture. If you are struggling with bitterness or a hurtful memory, try praying this; — “God in Christ forgave me so now, Daddy, I forgive you. Mama, I forgive you. My cousin, I forgive you (or whomever it applies to)” in Jesus’ name.”
When we forgive, we forgive by faith, not by our feelings. We walk by faith, not feelings. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Some people are waiting for feelings and in essence are saying, — “I am waiting, Father, for the right emotion to come on me to forgive that person”. Well, that “right emotion” may never come! We should never allow our feelings to determine whether we are willing to forgive.
Forgive by faith, and do it once and for all. Spend time in prayer. Take out your diary and write it down: “Father, I bring this person before you. You know what he (or she) did to me. Father, as You forgave me through Jesus’ cross, even though I did not deserve it, by faith, I now forgive this person and I let my anger against him go in Jesus’ name. Amen!”
Once you forgive by faith, the sting of bitterness is removed from your heart. God’s peace and joy will fill your mind and you will experience a greater measure of wholeness in your body!
Note: Some of us need to forgive ourselves. If God forgives us when we repent, then we need to forgive ourselves.
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.” 2 Timothy 2:24-25 (ESV)
