Good Forgetters

By Paul Chappell

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

Hebrews 8:10-12

Two little neighbor boys had quarreled bitterly one night. But the next morning Johnny took his cap and headed for Bobby’s house. Surprised, an older member of the family said teasingly, “What! Going to play with him again? I thought you quarreled only last evening and were never going to have anything more to do with each other. Funny memory you have.” Johnny looked a little sheepish, dug his toe into the carpet for a moment, then flashed a satisfied smile as he hurried away. “Oh! Bobby and me are good forgetters!”

It is a virtual certainty that someone is going to disappoint you today in some manner. A friend may not stand up for you when you need him to. A family member may say something unkind. A spiritual leader may not respond properly. Whatever the case, you are faced with a question: How will you respond? The key to a proper response is found in the way God deals with our sins.

When we fall short, as all of us do, and ask for His forgiveness, God does not demand that we go through a long process to prove we have learned our lesson; He forgives. Then He forgets—never bringing up our sin again. While we cannot forget as God does, we can refuse to ever bring up the sins of the past.

Today's Rooted Principle:

Forgive those who have wronged you in the same gracious way God has forgiven you.