Forget Things That Don't Matter - Encouragement Café - November 3, 2015

Forget Things That Don’t Matter

Café Menu for Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Today’s Special is:  Remembering is NOT always a good thing!

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Jill Beran

Main Ingredient:

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of ityet; but one I do: forgetting what liesbehind and reaching forward to what liesahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14 NASB

Entrée:

You remember everything!

…my friend responded as I recited the ages and birthdays of her children.  There are things I forget, but quite often she is right - God has blessed me with a good memory.  When it comes to birthdays, commitments and my grocery list this skill is a good thing.  It’s even better when I use it to hold onto God’s Promises and Truth.  In Scripture, the people were commanded to remember.

You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

Deuteronomy 8:2 NASB

Remembering is good, important and necessary, but there are some things I need to forget.  Perhaps you do too?  Things like words spoken against me, actions that wronged me and past sin that God has forgiven.  I also need to forget the score I sometimes keep in marriage, the memory of how others hurt me and the record of my kids’ wrongs.  

Remembering these things, and others like them, only lead to bitterness, anger and pain.  These memories affect my thinking and my actions, my words and even God’s work.

In these moments, when we are tempted to cling to something we need to overlook, we must remember Paul’s words to the Philippians.  When our remembering keeps us focused on the past and paralyzes us from moving forward, it’s not a good thing.

God created us for relationship and He continually wants us to grow closer to Him.  Friend, let’s remember His goodness, faithfulness and grace, but forget the little things that don’t matter and remember the big things that He has forgiven!

Take Out:

Stop and write down the first five memories that come to your mind.

Are they things that are good to remember?  Are they situations God wants you to forget?  Pray over them and ask God to help you remember what He wants you to remember and forget what He knows you need to forget.

Dessert:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the mind You’ve blessed me with - one that thinks and is able to remember.  Lord, I’m grateful for the memories You have given me - fun with friends, moments with my family and of my relationship with You. I also know there are things I remember that I need to forget… show me what those are and then clear them from my mind. Help me let go and press on! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

© 2015 by Jill Beran.  All rights reserved.

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