His Absent-mindedness

May 25

Do not forget small kindnesses and do not remember small faults. Chinese Proverb

This advice is not always easy to take. It's so much easier to keep track of faults than it is to be mindful of small kindnesses. Yet the Lord would have us to do just that. His Word reminds us that we are to forgive one another as He has forgiven us, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do," Luke 23:34. Indeed, the act of forgiving is the act of releasing the memory of offense according to Micah 7:19, which says, "You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Perhaps Jesus has allowed you to be in a situation where there are numerous people around you who have been inconsiderate and accusatory and unloving, but He loves them and it is His desire to love them through you. It is His desire to forgive them for all offense and to forgive them through you. Your decision in the matter is to cooperate with Him or to withhold love and forgiveness. Your decision in the matter impacts you more than it does them.

Remembering little kindnesses is as elusive as forgiving small (and large) offenses. In an ultimate sense it may not matter whether you can or can't remember a gesture of a day, but it will bless your heart to be mindful of the intent. It will bless your heart to see through the offense as though it weren't there and to focus on the kindness as though it were of paramount importance.

Your doing so may matter to no one but you, in fact, your doing so will be of utmost advantage to you because this decision on your part will release you from bondage to anything negative and set you free to embrace all the good that is set before you. Your decision to be Christ-like in your perception of the people around you will empower you to see as He sees and to feel as He feels. This will be your amazing strength in getting through each day in peace and in strength.

Jesus loves you and He desires peace and strength for you—every day throughout a blessed lifetime of doing all things well, of doing all things God's way. His way, as the Chinese proverb suggests, is to focus on the good in everyone you know and to put all unkindness into His Sea of Forgetfulness.