Forgive and Forget

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul talks about forgetting the past and reaching forward to all Christ has laid hold of for him. When he says that he forgets those things that are behind, he doesn’t forget by accident, he forgets on purpose. If you are going to have true peace you will need to learn the art of “forgetting” on purpose.

Here are 3 things to remember in regard to forgetting things that don’t matter:

  • Forget on purpose.
  • Forget by replacing the thought.
  • Forget by not rehearsing it.

Jesus forgave so that would could forgive, forget and be forgiven. *(Luke 24)

  • “This day you will be with me in paradise.”
  • “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
  • “Into thy hands I commit my spirit!”

Forgiveness doesn’t minimize the fault of the offender, it brings freedom to the offended.

 

Jesus made this difficult, awkward, and private matter of forgiving a public matter to empower us.

 

It’s difficult to forgive when you can’t forget and it’s difficult to forget when you can’t forgive.

5 Reasons Why It’s Hard to Forgive: 

  1. You feel like you are letting the person off the hook or minimizing the fault.
  2. You want to rehearse the fault instead of releasing it while being empowered and healed.
  3. You want to talk about it; therefore you can’t forget about it and no one else can either.
  4. You verbalize it because you want others to know what you’ve experienced and how you feel.
  5. You want to get back at or at least allow the offender to feel what you have felt and are dealing with.

“Don’t take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the Lord and He will make it right.” -Proverbs‬ ‭20:22‬ ‭GNT‬‬

“Confess forgiveness not the fault.”

“Release it don’t rehearse it.”

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ.”

*Christ was convicted and condemned by man. But, He was accepted by God. (He was convicted and condemned undeservingly. So we wouldn’t receive the condemnation we deserved. We are accepted by God through Christ). It’s hard to forget when you are feeling condemnation or conviction. Conviction has to be resolved. Condemnation has to be rebuked. The cross says there is now no Condemnation for those who belong to Christ

  • Conviction comes from God through the Holy Spirit
  • Condemnation comes from the devil, self, and other people.
  • Conviction corrects something that’s not right in your life.
  • Condemnation puts you down and makes you feel guilty, miserable and ashamed.
  • Conviction is from God’s love for you and His desire to help you be better.
  • Condemnation is from Satan’s hatred and his desire to make you miserable. 
  • Conviction is specific. 
  • Condemnation is general.
  • Conviction has a solution from it’s source.
  • Condemnation has no end from it’s source (It’s only end is found in Christ).

The cross empowers us to conquer our convictions and cast down our condemnations.

Sometimes you have to face it to fix it, but sometimes you have to release it to receive true peace.

Striving to Keep Peace

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” II Thess. 3:16

“I’ve come that you might have peace; not as the world gives but that only I can give.” Jn. 14:27

“I will give peace to the one who’s mind is fixed on me.” Is. 26:3

“The peace of God will transcend all understanding and guard your hearts and minds.” Phil. 4:7

“Blessed are the Peace Makers for they will be called the children of God.” Matt. 5:9

How Do You Strive to Make Peace? 

Find a Way by figuring out what it takes to make it work!

 

1. Learn to celebrate instead of always being critical.

 

2. Learn to speak the right language. *(words matter and tone matters)

 

3. Don’t complain about what you allow and don’t tolerate what you could confront.

 

4. Don’t excuse what should be expressed. *(Say it, if it needs said, but say it in love!)

 

5. Destroy assumptions, perceptions and feelings by having those tough conversations.

 

6. Learn to concede and to compromise (What’s best may not be what I think, feel or want).

 

7. Learn to “give and take” and Learn to “let it go!” (If it’s always about you, you will never have true peace)

 

8. It’s not about winning; it’s about working it out! (If you have to win every argument and conquer every battle you will never have real peace)

 

9. Don’t keep things stirred up that need to die down.

 

10. Don’t walk away from what you  you were meant to walk through. (you won’t have peace if you choose to live in regret)

 

11. Seek first to understand- before being understood.

 

12. Deal with what needs to be dealt with and let go of what you can’t change.

 

Peace is an atmosphere that is produced by proper patterns that embodies a Spirit-Led – Christ-Centered life.

To be a peace-maker means that you produce peace in situations, circumstances and in the lives of others by giving what you have received from God first.

Sometimes you have to face it to fix it, but sometimes you have to release it to receive true peace.