Forget

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble his way. ~ Psalm 25:1-9

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

How many times have I asked God to forget the things I've done?

And how many times have I not forgotten them myself?

A wise person once told me that to ruminate over sins for which God has already forgiven us is just another way in which we separate ourselves from God. It is a way in which we don't trust God.

We think that our sin is so terrible that it can't be forgiven, even when God tells us otherwise.

There are parts of my youth I am not proud of: that I am remorseful of. There are things I've done, I'd do over if I had the chance.

And I have to admit that there are times I let that regret come back and taunt me, even though I have repented and sought forgiveness.

But if God can forget those sins, I should also be able to.

It doesn't mean that the pain always goes away. I know that when I was young and foolish, I damaged some relationships. Maybe they forgave me, and maybe they didn't. Most of the time, thankfully the relationship was redeemed.

When I ruminate over my past sins - the sins I have sought forgiveness from - whether relationships healed or not, I am ignoring the forgiveness freely offered to me by God.

God has claimed you. God loves you. God forgives you.

Rejoice in that freedom and don't let the past make you forget.

Forgive me when I forget that you have already forgiven me. Teach me to seek forgiveness, and when it has been given, don't let self-recrimination make me forget your grace and mercy. Amen