We’re looking at 5 Reasons Why We Don’t Experience a Light Burden. We’ve looked at the possibility that we may be carrying a burden that’s not ours and examined how to cast your cares on the Lord. We’ve also looked at the possibility that God has trusted you with something of value and how we can know if we’re trusting God. We’ve reminded ourselves that God’s ready to help and how to be yoked with Jesus. I told you 4 things I’ve learned to do when the yoke is uncomfortable and discussed how to keep your focus on  the ultimate purpose. You’ve got 4 Questions to Define Your Destiny. Now let’s consider if we’ve forgotten about each other.

On our journey to our destiny, we need help along the way.  There’s one other burden that’s common to all of us I said I’d come back to and now is the time. It’s part of the purpose for each of us. We’re told to:

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2 (New International Version)

Too many of us grow weary with the yoke because we don’t have someone to come alongside to steady us when we become off balanced.

I mentioned another yoke in agrarian societies. These yokes are for people and they allow them to handle a more difficult load. It’s a tool that makes the job easier.

But the thing about carrying a heavy load yourself…

• You can stumble and the weight of the load can make you fall.
• You can turn too quickly and the momentum can carry you into the ditch.
• You can look up and lose your purpose.

We need someone else to steady us when we stumble.
We need someone else to stop us from going off course.
We need someone else to help us from losing our purpose.

Who can you help today? It’s as simple as slowing down to be a friend.

If you’ve asked for forgiveness from God, you may still need help knowing you’re forgiven. People have this problem when they want to “feel” like they’ve been forgiven. Truth supersedes feelings. Feelings will follow, but they don’t point to the truth when they contradict what the Bible says. So know what the Bible says about forgiveness.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ?(1 John 1:8-9 NIV)

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalms 51:7 NIV)

…who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, (Psalms 103:3-4 NIV)

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18 NIV)

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 NIV)

Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. (James 5:13-16 NLT)

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. ?(1 John 2:1-2 NIV)

People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy. (Proverbs 28:13 NLT)

You are forgiven from sin that you confess. Work these verses into your thinking if you need to, and pass the truth along to others you can encourage.

Please let me know if there are other scriptures you use that I’ve left out. Let’s build a great resource for people’s assurance.

If you truly forgive, shouldn’t you forget?

Don’t you love it when people quote adages like they’re Scripture? “Forgive and forget” has done so much damage to people’s understanding of God and their relationship with others.

Do you realize God does not forget the sins He forgives us of? How could He and still be an all-knowing God? Instead He chooses to not remember and hold them against us.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
(Jeremiah 31:34 NIV)

Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17 NIV)

This is more than just an exercise in semantics. We also can’t easily forget. God has created us with minds to remember. Thoughts will pop back into our minds and we have no power over the past…but we do have control over how we let our past control our present and our future.

When memories come, of hurts and pains you have chosen to forgive, don’t try to ignore them. Remember the whole event – including the FACT you have chosen to forgive them with the strength God provides.

Dr. Chuck Lynch in his book “I Should Forgive, But…” gives this advice regarding the obsessive thinking that often surrounds forgiven hurts:

1. Address God – Stating God’s name in a firm way forcibly stops the obsessive thinking, but usually only momentarily. It is the starting point at dealing with dangerous thoughts.

2. Thank God – Express appreciation to God for allowing you to remember the past offense you had to forgive. This allows you to review this biblical tool which Christ illustrated at the time of His own hurt and rejection “Father, forgive them…” It will also bring to mind that you have left them with God. You can thank Him that you were able to give the same gift of forgiveness you received and thus reflect God’s character to others.

3. Praise God – Sincerely praise God for the tool of forgiveness. Praise Him for forgiving you as you forgive others and for what He’s going to do through this experience for His glory.

Over time, we can forget many of the worse things done to us. But we don’t get to that place by trying to forget.

The secret is to remember the whole truth, including the fact you’ve chosen to forgive. This is how you release yourself from the lie of the enemy that says you need to forget if you truly forgive.

Choose to remember the whole truth every time the painful emotions around an offense try to control your thinking.

I enjoy getting your thoughts and comments on this.