I Don’t Have to Forget

In Romans 8:28 I read, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (NIV)

There is a very common phrase, “Forgive and forget.” There’s only one problem with it: I’m not able to do it. It’s impossible!

I really can’t forget a hurt in my life. In fact, there’s no reason to try. When I’m trying to forget, I'm actually focusing on the very thing I want to forget.  

What I’m learning is that forgetting is not what God wants me to do. Instead, he wants me to trust him and see how he can bring good out of the hurt. That’s more important than forgetting because it allows me to thank God for the good that he eventually brings from the situation. I can’t thank God for things I forget.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV).

The Bible doesn’t say that all things are good, because all things are not good. Cancer is not good. Disease is not good. Divorce is not good. War is not good. Abuse is not good. Many things in life are evil. Not everything that happens in this world is God’s will.

But God says he will work good out of the bad things in my life if I will trust him. When I come to him and say, “God, I give you all the pieces of my life,” he will exchange my pieces for his peace. He gives me peace in my heart that comes from knowing that—even if I don’t understand the hurt in my life—I can still forgive, knowing that God will use that pain for good.

So, I don’t have to forget the wrong thing that someone did to me. Instead, I need to rely on God to help me forgive, and then see how he will bring good out of my hurt.  

In summary, there is a very common phrase, “Forgive and forget.” There’s only one problem with it: I’m not able to do it. I really can’t forget a hurt in my life. There’s no reason to try. When I’m trying to forget, I'm actually focusing on the very thing I want to forget. What I’m learning is that forgetting is not what God wants me to do. He wants me to trust him and see how he can bring good out of the hurt. That’s more important than forgetting because it allows me to thank God for the good that he eventually brings from the situation. I can’t thank God for things I forget. The Bible doesn’t say that all things are good. Many things in life are evil. Not everything that happens in this world is God’s will. But God says he will work good out of the bad things in my life if I will trust him. When I give him all the pieces of my life,” he will exchange my pieces for his peace. He gives me peace in my heart that comes from knowing that—even if I don’t understand the hurt—I can still forgive, knowing that God will use that pain for good. I don’t have to forget the wrong thing that someone did to me. I need to rely on God to help me forgive, and then see how he will bring good out of my hurt.  

God works in "everything", not just isolated incidents, for my good. God is not working to make me happy, but to fulfill his purpose. I am learning to trust in God and not in life's treasures, my security is in heaven, not on earth. My faith should not waver in pain and persecution, because I know that God is with me.