Throughout this year, The Lord has allowed me to really dig deep into the book, “The Bait of Satan” by John Bevere. I first read the book on my own and it opened up healing in me that was needed. As God would have it, this book became the focus of multiple Bible Studies I have been a part of, many of which I taught. This most recent study with this book, I was a little apprehensive.  So, I went to God, “Lord, this is the fifth time I will be looking at this book, please let me receive something NEW from this experience.” Don’t get me wrong I LOVE the book because it truly has kept me in a season that had I not read it, I would have been consumed with offense. And because I (we) serve a God who answers prayers, so far my study has been different. I am the student of not only my teacher but of God and He is allowing me to see even more. The first lesson God taught me (before we even started our Bible Study) was in order to experience newness, I had to be willing to see and receive newness. There is always something new to glean from anything God is using to grow us, even if we have read it before.

The next lesson was brought on by a question that was asked in our most recent class. “Does forgiveness mean forgetting? If not, why is “Forgive and Forget,” always coupled together?” This simple yet deep question, really made me think about the lessons I already learned (and even taught) from the book and the Spiritual direction God was shifting me into. With this question, God gave me clarity and revelation. If we are being obedient to all of His Word then forgiving and forgetting must go hand in hand. Now, please don’t give me the side eye J.  Hear me out on this one or at least hear how God presented it to me. 

The Lord brought to my remembrance, a scripture from what many of us know as the “Love Chapter” in the Bible; it is God’s Instruction for us on how we should love one another.

^“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.”

~ 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5 (New Living Translation)

Verse 5 specifically says and this translation makes it clear, “… [love] keeps no record of being wronged.” This part hit my Spirit in a way it had not before. If I truly forgive then I must forget, God is instructing me, all of us, to keep no record of being wronged. He is showing us how we should remember the lesson and forget the offense. Now, I hear you saying, that is extremely hard Chanelle. You mean to tell me, I should forget what my cousin did to me years ago that shook me to my core, I should forget what my boyfriend did, I should forget what my Boss said to me, I should forget (insert whatever it is). And I’m saying yes forget the offense because that is what God is instructing us to do. I agree it is hard if we do it on our own. BUT with God helping us and as we allow Him to process and transform us through this experience, we CAN AND WILL get to the place in our Spiritual journey where this is easier. 

We WILL be able to focus on the lesson we received from this experience and have that stand out in our mind more than the offense. This will give us a true freedom and peace from offense that God wants us to have. If the adversary had his way, we would hold on to this offense and it will keep us broken, devastated, stuck, and separated from God. That is not God’s desire for any of us.

Today, I encourage you and myself to “remember the lesson and forget the offense.” This will be hard, it will take time but what will come from it is a closer walk with God, deliverance from what is keeping us bound, and so much freedom and peace. We will be able to love in a way where, “we are not keeping any record of being wronged.” We will be able to love one another in the way God intended.

Until next time, KEEP GOING and STAY ENCOURAGED because your VICTORY is already WON!

Chanelle A. Watson
Chef and Author
Writing Coach | Entrepreneur | Philanthropist | Motivational Speaker
Host, “Anchoring Your Dreams with Chanelle A. Watson: The Podcast Experience” (Season 2: Coming Soon)