Selective Amnesia

Selective Amnesia

I was struck by the idea the first time the commentator said it. Talking about Andrew Luck having a disastrous first half of football against the Chiefs but then turning it all around, leading one of the most amazing comebacks in memory, the commentator said, "He has amnesia!"

Luck, like all great quarterbacks, has "selective amnesia," meaning he has the ability to quickly forget about bad passes, interceptions, and fumbles and move onto the next opportunity. Luck, and others, would be quick to tell you they go back and learn from those mistakes later and then dismiss them again.

Selective Amnesia.

God has selective amnesia! He chooses to forget some things about you and me, if we are in a relationship with Jesus. The writer of Hebrews spends a lot of time talking about Jesus, his blood, and its cleansing ability. In the midst of all that, the writer calls the readers to remember that God forgets (8:12).

I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

God has amnesia and we need it too. We stumble, sin, make messes and mistakes. As much as possible, we need to learn from them, fix what we can, and then move on. Paul remembered to forget (Philippians 3:13,14):

. . .One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Please don’t allow your past, if forgotten by God, to keep you from enjoying the present and anticipating the future.