Restart Your Computer

*Restart Your Computer*

"Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins." Proverbs 10:12

We normally date the modern computers to the 1930s and 1940s, and the
personal computer to the early 1980s. But the most powerful computer in the
world was created thousands of years ago: the human brain (and it's
spiritual manifestation, the mind). One of the most powerful applications
today for computers is financial record keeping - keeping track of every
last penny. And the human mind has the similar function and capacity.

Unlike a computer which can accurately store facts and figures in its memory
banks for years without accessing or refreshing them, the human brain has to
be refreshed frequently to hold on to information lest it fades from
memory. But that's not a problem for some people who have been hurt or felt
slighted in any way by others - they replay the hurt daily until it gets
seared in their cortex. Years later they can tell you when and how the
offense occurred and how much it hurt.

The Greek language of the New Testament had a word for such record keeping:
*logizomai*, which means to take an inventory or account. And the apostle
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love thinketh no evil - or in other
words, love doesn't logizomai. Those who practice a godly or *agape* love
don't keep an inventory of wrongs, evils, or injurious things that happen to
them. They don't think on, mull over and replay hurts, offences and deeds
done by others to them. Agape love keeps no record of wrongs suffered; love
forgives and forgets. As Solomon said, "love covereth all sins."

The prophet Micah gives us a beautiful picture and pattern for forgiveness -
"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the
transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for
ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have
compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all
their sins into the depth of the sea" (7:18-19). This is true love like
none other. Could you imagine if God would be like us, and replay our sins
over and over in His mind, or continually remind us of our past sins, or
never forget all the wrongs done against Him? Thank God that He is not like
us, but we are told numerous times in Scripture to be like Him. If God has
cast our sins into the depths of the sea, then we should do the same with
the sins of others. If God has covered our sins with the blood of Christ,
then we should ask God that Christ's blood would do the same with the sins
of others against us. If God has "commended his love toward us ... while we
were yet sinners" (Rom. 5:8), then we should exhibit or commend our love
towards others, even though they may have sinned against us or hurt us.

Let's take a lesson from our computers - let's erase the old archived files
of past offences and restart our mental computers. You'll free up a lot of
mental memory space for thoughts and things that are true, honest, just,
pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy (Phlp. 4:8). And
let's ask God to help us be like Him - to forgive and forget.

*"I can forgive, but I cannot forget" is only another way of saying, "I
cannot forgive." (Henry Ward Beecher)*