How you remember them matters

Have you ever reconnected with someone from your past after many years, only to discover that they are nothing like the person you last knew them as?

Maybe he was the most annoying kid in school, constantly irritating everyone with outbursts of immaturity.  Or she was one to run with the wrong crowd, rebelling against her parents and schoolteachers any chance she had.  Perhaps you remember them for their arrogance or massive ego. 

When describing them to others, we always qualify their name with whatever bad thing they did, saying things like “she was the one who…” or “he always treated others like…”.  We all have stories and memories like this.

The truth is, you and I are remembered like this in other people’s stories and memories.  There are plenty of acts and choices from my youth that I don’t want to be remembered for, because that’s not who I am anymore.  I don’t want to be forever-labeled by the times I messed up.

David brought these same concerns to God:

Psalm 25:4-7
Make Your ways known to me, Lord;
teach me Your paths.
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are the God of my salvation;
I wait for You all day long.

Remember, Lord, Your compassion and faithful love,
for they have existed from antiquity.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion;
in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me
because of Your goodness, Lord.

David knows that if God based their relationship on His remembering of David’s sins of his youth or acts of rebellion, then he has no chance of knowing God’s ways or walking God’s paths.  David can’t earn access to God or God’s truth or God’s teaching – because David has already disqualified himself from those good things, based upon how he acted before.

Notice that David doesn’t petition God with “Look how much better I am now!” or try to bargain with God, saying “I’ll pay you back with more sacrifices!”.  David doesn’t seek a relationship with God based upon his own merits or actions; instead, he wants God to remember him according to God’s faithful love and God’s goodness.

God’s compassion is what gives David, and us, access to God.  We can only approach Him because of the way He chooses to see us.  And we’re all grateful that when He thinks of us, His thoughts are based upon His character, not on our actions.

We can make the same choice with others.  Will we always remember people for the flaws and mistakes of their youth, or will we extend compassion to them?  If someone from your past approached you now, seeking forgiveness like David sought from God, how would you respond?

I know, that’s tough.  All the important things in life are hard.  But that doesn’t change how important our choices are. 

Jesus considered this relationship dynamic to be so important that He included it in His model prayer:

Matthew 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

They may have wronged you in the past, but you don’t have to remember them for their actions.  I encourage you to extend the same compassion and forgiveness that God remembers us by.

Keep Pressing,
Ken