Remember to Forget
by Wayne Greeson
Introduction:
I. "And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made
me forget" (Genesis 41:51)
A. Joseph could have wasted his life dwelling on the injustices he suffered.
B. As a youth, his brothers sold him into slavery, and he was forced to live in a
hostile land.
1. He had to spend his teenage and adult years away from his beloved father.
2. Joseph even spent time in prison.
a. In spite of all he endured, he harbored no resentment.
b. In fact, he named his son Manasseh, which means "forgetting."
c. He explained, "For God hath made me forget."
II. Some things should be forgotten.
A. As Joseph recognized, forgetting can be a blessing from God.
B. One child defined memory this way: "My memory is the thing I forget with."
Likewise, there are some things we need to remember to forget.
Body
I. Past Mistakes
A. The example of Paul (1 Tim. 1:13-15)
1. Paul's life, before he became a Christian and
apostle of Jesus Christ, was filled with serious
blunders, mistakes and outright sins. Paul wrote,
"(13) Who (I) was before a blasphemer, and a
persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy,
because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (14) And
the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant
with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (15)
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (1 Tim. 1:13-15)
2. With such tragic and awful mistakes and sins in
his past, how could Paul continue on? By
forgetting these sins and putting them behind him.
3. Forgetting was the key to Paul's success as a Christian.
a. He said, " this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, (14) I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:13-14)
B. God forgives and forgets our sins and remembers them no more.
1. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their iniquities will I remember
no more" (Heb. 8:12).
2. "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no
more" (Heb. 10:17).
3. If God is willing to forget and remember my sins
no more, certainly I can forget them and put them
behind me so that their memory does not haunt
and hinder me for the rest of my life.
a. "Were it not better to forget, Than to but
remember and regret?" (L.E. Landon).
II. Past Troubles
A. Many allow their past troubles and difficulties to
drown them in despair.
1. In his book. LEE: THE LAST YEARS, Charles
Bracelen Flood reports that after the Civil War,
Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took
him to the remains of a grand old tree in front of
her house.
a. There she bitterly cried that its limbs and trunk had been
destroyed by Federal artillery fire.
b. She looked to Lee for a word condemning
the North or at least sympathizing with her loss.
1) "After a brief silence, Lee said, Cut it down, my
dear Madam, and forget it.' It is better to forgive
the injustices of the past than to allow them to
remain, let bitterness take root and poison the
rest of our life." (Michael Williams Source unknown).
2. How many times do we waste our lives by dredging up past troubles?
a. As one author said, "Life cannot go on without much forgetting"
(Balzac)
b. "I sit beside my lonely fire, And pray for wisdom yet: For
calmness to remember, Or courage to forget" (Aide).
B. We need to remember to forget our past troubles.
1. Joseph could have wasted his life dwelling on all the troubles
he suffered.
a. Hated by his brothers
b. Sold into slavery
c. Separated from his family
d. Falsely accused of wrongdoing
e. Falsely imprisoned
2. In spite of all the trials and troubles he endured,
he harbored no resentment nor nursed any growing hatred or bitterness.
a. Instead, with the naming of his first child, Joseph recognized that
he had been blessed by God to forget his past troubles, to be
thankful of his present blessings and look forward to what
God had for him.
b. "And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God,
said he, hath made me forget" (Genesis 41:51).
C. God blessings today are the means to forgetting our
problems of yesterday.
1. "(19) Every man also to whom God hath given
riches and wealth, and hath given him power to
eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice
in his labour; this is the gift of God. (20) For he
shall not much remember the days of his life;
because God answereth him in the joy of his
heart." (Eccl. 5:18-20)
2. "A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow,
because her hour is come: but as soon as she is
delivered of the child, she remembereth no more
the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the
world." (Jn. 16:21)
3. "(13) If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out
thine hands toward him; (14) If iniquity be in
thine hand, put it far away, and let not
wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. (15) For
then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea,
thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: (16)
Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and
remember it as waters that pass away: (17) And
thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou
shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.
(18) And thou shalt be secure, because there is
hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou
shalt take thy rest in safety. (19) Also thou shalt
lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea,
many shall make suit unto thee. (20) But the eyes
of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not
escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up
of the ghost." (Job 11:13-20)
4. (Isa. 65:16-17) "(16) That he who blesseth himself in the earth
shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he
that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God
of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and
because they are hid from mine eyes. (17) For, behold,
I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former
shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."
5. We cannot profit by dwelling on past troubles.
III. Past Hurts
A. Christians are to be forgiving.
1. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32).
2. If God forgives and "remembers no more" we should forgive
in like manner as his dear children (Eph. 5:1).
a. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins
and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 8:12).
b. "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:17).
3. To forgive, some things need to be dropped from the Christian's memory.
a. He shouldn't harbor wrongs done to him.
b. He mustn't let some unkind word keep him
from maturing in Christ as he should.
c. And he should never use another's insensitivity as his escuse
for not serving the Lord.
d. Are there things in your past that you need to forgive and forget?
B. "The remedy for wrongs is to forget them" (Publilius Syrus).
1. "A retentive memory may be a good thing, but
the ability to forget is the true token of greatness" (Elbert Hubbard).
2. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was reminded
one day of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before.
a. But she acted as if she had never even heard of the incident.
b. "Don't you remember it?" her friend asked.
1) "No," came Barton's reply, "I distinctly remember forgetting it."
(Luis Palau, experiencing God's Forgiveness, Multnomah Press, 1985).
3. Some will not forget past hurts or offences.
a. Old Joe was dying.
1) For years he had been at odds with Bill, formerly one of
his best friends.
2) Wanting to straighten things out, he sent word for Bill to come
and see him.
a) When Bill arrived, Joe told him that he was afraid to
go into eternity with such a bad feeling between them.
b) Then, very reluctantly and with great effort, Joe apologized
for things he had said and done.
c) He also assured Bill that he forgave him for his offenses.
3) Everything seemed fine until Bill turned to go.
a) As he walked out of the room, Joe called out after him,
"But, remember, if I get better, this doesn't count!"
(Our Daily Bread, June 18, 1994).
b. General Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley, "I never forgive
and I never forget."
1) To which Wesley replied, "Then, Sir, I hope you never sin."
C. How to remember to forget.
1. When people hurt us and then apologize, we may say that we forgive them.
a. But like a dog that won't give up its bone, we may let our mind
continue to chew on past insults.
2. In 1 Corinthians 13:5, Paul declared that love "thinks no evil."
a. He was using an accountant's term that described the
recording of figures in a book.
b. Love does the opposite--it does not keep a record of wrongs.
c. Instead, love forgives and refuses to keep it on the books.
3. If you want to remember something, you go over it again and again.
a. The child reviews his spelling words; the actress rehearses
her lines; you review people's names that you want to remember.
b. But love deliberately and consciously lets go of past hurts
and gives them to God.
4. It was said of one religious leader, "He never forgot slights done to him,
which was his fundamental weakness. He might bury the hatchet for a
time, but he gave the impression of always marking the spot."
a. "Nobuddy ever fergits where he buried the hatchet"
(Kin Hubbard).
b. "Women and elephants never forget an injury" (Saki).
5. The result of "forgetting" past hurts is illustrated in the life of William Sangster:
a. A guest who had come to spend the holidays with Sangster was
watching him address the last of his greeting cards.
1) One of the names on the list startled the friend.
2) "Surely you are not sending a card to him," he said. "Why not?"
Sangster asked.
a) "Don't you remember what he said about you just
18 months ago?"
b) Sangster replied that he only remembered a resolution he made
at that time.
i. He had determined that with God's help he would
forget about the man's cutting remark.
ii. Sangster responded, "Oh yes, I remember, but I
have remembered to forget."
iii. Let's follow his example.
D. The Blessings of Forgiving and Forgetting
1. Forgive and forget.
a. Easier said than done, right?
b. Well, now studies are showing forgiveness is not
only good theology, but good medicine as well.
c. According to the latest medical and psychological research,
forgiving is good for our souls and our bodies.
2. People who forgive:
a. Benefit from better immune functioning and lower blood pressure.
b. Have better mental health than people who do not forgive.
c. Feel better physically.
d. Have lower amounts of anger and fewer
symptoms of anxiety and depression.
e. Maintain more satisfying and long-lasting relationships.
1) "When we allow ourselves to feel like victims or sit
around dreaming up how to retaliate against people who
have hurt us, these thought patterns take a toll on our
minds and bodies,' says Michael McCullough, director of
research for the National Institute for Healthcare Research
and a co-author of To Forgive is Human: How to Put Your
Past in the Past (Source: InterVarsity Press, quoted in Lifeline,
Summer, 1997).
3. Further benefits:
a. You do not have to forget after you forgive;
you may, but your forgiving can be sincere
even if you remember.
b. You do not overlook people's faults by
forgiving them; you must forgive them
because you do hold them to account and
refuse to agree with or overlook their faults.
c. Forgiveness deals with our emotional
response toward an offender.
1) Pardon deals with the consequences of his offense.
2) Unless we have the authority we may not be able to
pardon an offense, but we can always forgive.
d. Forgiveness is an act of the will that moves
away the heavy hindrance to fellowship; an
act that will be fulfilled when the two
estranged people come together in as fair
and harmonious a new relationship as is
possible at that time and under those circumstances.
e. Forgiveness offers a chance at
reconciliation; it is an opportunity for a life
together instead of death together.
f. Forgiveness has creative power to move us
away from a past moment of pain, to
unshackle us from our endless chain of
reactions, and to create a new situation in
which both the wrongdoer and the wronged
can begin a new way.
g. The alternative to forgiveness is, in the end,
a ceaseless process of hurt, bitterness, anger,
resentment and self-destruction.
(Countdown! Golden Minutes Ministries,
July-August, 1997, Long Beach, CA)
4. "Let me forget the hurt and pain, Found along life's way;
Let me remember, kindnesses, Given day by day." – Berry
5. "It is far better to forgive and forget than to resent
and remember" (Our Daily Bread).
6. "Lord, help me be kind and forgiving--
Your loving forgiveness You've shown
To me for the sins I've committed;
Lord, grant me a love like Your own." --Anon.
Remember to forgive--then remember to forget. (Our Daily Bread).
IV. Past Victories
A. Perhaps one of the most surprising things we should
forget is past victories.
1. Paul spoke of his past successes and achievements:
(Phi. 3:4-8) "(4) Though I might also have
confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh
that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I
more: (5) Circumcised the eighth day, of the
stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an
Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a
Pharisee; (6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the
church; touching the righteousness which is in
the law, blameless. (7) But what things were
gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (8)
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
2. But as he continued on, he explained that he had
to put these past attainments behind him and
forget them. "(13) Brethren, I count not myself to
have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are
before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:13-14)
3. Why? Because he could not boast or rely upon
what he was or what he had done in the past to
do what he needed to do in the present and gain
the reward of heaven in the future.
B. We must not dwell on past successes:
1. If you keep looking back, you can't make
spiritual progress. "And Jesus said unto him, No
man, having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Lk. 9:62).
2. Some are constantly looking back into something
they were or something they did in the past and
not working progressing and working for the
Lord here and now.
3. There's a story about a man who was slowly
losing his memory.
a. After an examination, the doctor said that an operation
on his brain might reverse his condition and restore
his memory.
b. However, the surgery would be so delicate that a nerve might
be severed, causing total blindness.
1) "What would you rather have," asked the surgeon,
"your sight or your memory?"
2) The man pondered the question for a few moments and
then replied, "My sight, because I would rather see
where I am going than remember where I have been."
4. We see In Philippians 3, where the apostle Paul made the same
choice spiritually.
a. His past, with its success he chose to forget. What mattered to
him most was keeping his eyes on the goal of gaining Christ's approval.
b. That kind of mindset is one sure mark of Christian maturity.
1) It's what God is working to develop in our lives (Phil. 3:13-15).
2) We can't forget our past, of course, but we don't have to live in it.
a) Any good we may have done is from God, so we can only
be thankful.
b) What do you choose? To see or to remember?
5. "Onward and upward your course plan today,
Seeking new heights as you walk Jesus' way;
Heed not past successes (failures), but strive for
the prize, Aiming for goals fit for His holy eyes". --Brandt
(Our Daily Bread, June 25, 1998).
Conclusion
I. Do you remember to forget" your past mistakes, your past troubles,
your past hurts, your past victories?
If not let me be a good minister and remind you that these are some of the
things you need to put behind you and forget.
II. Invitation
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