“A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness.”

American humorist Elbert Hubbard

I had a classmate in college who had a photographic memory. While I labored to memorize countless facts, he breezed through the same assignments. The night before the final exam, he pulled an all-nighter, memorized the textbook, and aced the final exam. He could also remember everything others said or did to him, particularly when he felt slighted. His life was often consumed with exacting revenge upon those who hurt him. The proverb quoted above was an accurate depiction of him.

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 43:25 (ESV)

We have all been wronged by others and it is difficult to forgive and forget. I know. Even when I read God’s commands in the Bible, I often fail. I am attempting to do it through my power and it cannot be done. Only God can truly forgive sins, blotting them out and choosing not to remember them. Thanks be to God, that He gives us this ability by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do this, God sends His Holy Spirit to indwell within us. God, the Creator of the Universe, lives within us, transforming us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. On the Cross, Jesus forgave the sins of the world, taking the punishment upon His own body. I do not have the power to forgive. Only through the supernatural power of Jesus Christ can I forgive another. 

Praise God for His grace and mercy!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.