You Don’t Have to Forget

You’ve heard this phrase over and over: “Forgive and forget.” There’s only one problem with it: You can’t do it. It’s impossible!

You really can’t forget a hurt in your life. In fact, there’s no reason to try. When you’re trying to forget, you are actually focusing on the very thing you want to forget.  

Forgetting is not what God wants you to do. Instead, he wants you to trust him and see how he can bring good out of the hurt. That’s more important than forgetting because it allows you to thank God for the good that he eventually brings from the situation. You can’t thank God for things you 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 your life if you will trust him. When you come to him and say, “God, I give you all the pieces of my life,” he will exchange your pieces for his peace. He gives you peace in your heart that comes from knowing that—even if you don’t understand the hurt in your life—you can still forgive, knowing that God will use that pain for good.

Remember: You don’t have to forget the wrong thing that someone did to you. Instead, rely on God to help you forgive, and then see how he will bring good out of your hurt.