You’ve all heard the saying, “Just forgive and forget.”  This is NOT a biblical concept. First, we cannot physiologically forget; events are imprinted in our minds and stay there. Second God does not forget, He chooses not to remember our sins.  Third, the Bible advocates a different approach: forgiver and rewrite.

This is based on the fact that God has a plan to use whatever He allows into our lives, pleasant or painful, we can look at unhappy experiences differently, from God’s point of view.

A prime example of this is Joseph: betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery (basically a death sentence), sold again to become a household slave. I believe that from the time Joseph was sold until  he arrived in Egypt, he chose to trust God, to rewrite the painful actions of his brothers. How do I know this? Because he was not bitter: he was a good worker, pleasant, positive and responsible. Bitter people are not like that.

Then you  know the other happenings: falsely accused, thrown into prison (where he again was positive, helpful and kind), forgotten for two years. Finally when he was brought before Pharaoh he was humble, saying that he couldn’t interpret dreams but that God could. Then after his father died, his brothers fear revenge, but Joseph told how he rewrote their cruelty: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Gen 50:10.

What about us, how do we “rewrite” a painful event. Here’s how.

1) forgive your offender in obedience to God. Col 3:13

2) Remind yourself that God has a plan in this, laying out the course for us. Heb. 12:1 James 1:2-4

3) offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, which honors God and opens the way for Him to show you His salvation. Psalm 50:23

4) Affirm your trust in God, remembering that He always has a purpose which you may not see yet. Psalm 23:6

5) Remember how he has worked out things for you in the past. Psalm 143:4,5

6) Ask Him to give you wisdom and insight in this situation. James 1:5

Tomorrow I will give you some examples of applying this.

Picture: As God led Moses, so He will lead us.