Selective Memory: Focus on the Good Times

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Awesome Relationships

Selective Memory: Focus on the Good Times By Rick Warren — May 28, 2016 “I thank God for the help you gave me” (Philippians 1:5a NCV). Developing an attitude of gratitude does not come naturally. We are not by nature grateful people. We are by nature discontented. We always want more or something different. In the book of Philippians, Paul was writing to the church that he started in Philippi, where a woman named Lydia opened up her home and, along with others, welcomed Paul to the city. The Philippian church even helped fund Paul’s missionary journeys. In Philippians 1:5, Paul says, “I thank God for the help you gave me” (NCV). The thing is, Paul didn’t have a good time in Philippi. In fact, it was one of his toughest churches to get started. When Paul went to this city to start a church, he was beaten, whipped, humiliated, falsely arrested, thrown into prison, and survived an earthquake. Then, he was politely asked by the city leaders to leave town. Yet Paul told the believers, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (Philippians 1:3 NLT, second edition). What is Paul doing there? He is choosing selective memory. Philippi was not a happy place for Paul, and he endured a lot of persecution and suffering during his time in that city. But he chose not to dwell on painful memories and instead expressed his gratitude for the good things that God had done. The longer you know someone, the more likely you are to take that person for granted and to look for faults and remember the bad things instead of the good things. Are you still reliving painful memories with some people in your life? You’ve never let them off the hook, and you can’t enjoy the relationship because you’re still holding on to the past. You need to understand that memories are a choice. I heard a story one time about two friends. One of them asked the other, “Don’t you remember that time when your husband did this?” Her friend replied, “I distinctly remember forgetting that.” Your memories are a choice. If you want to hold on to your painful memories, go right ahead. But you’re not going to be happy! Paul had a lot of reasons to have painful memories of Philippi. Instead, he made the choice to be grateful for the people in his life and the work God was doing in and through them. When you do the same, God will bless your relationships far beyond your expectations. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Why is it sometimes easier to hold onto painful memories than replace them with good ones? How does focusing on good memories change your expectations for the future? What do you need to do when a painful memory starts to resurface? Our Gift: Awesome Relationships Study Kit If you’d like to improve all of your relationships then you’ll want to experience Pastor Rick’s new four week DVD study called, Awesome Relationships. In this amazing study Pastor Rick shows you how to be intentional about building up your relationships so you can experience the awesome relationships that you desire. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Awesome Relationships teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Fighting for an Awesome Marriage Message 2: ​​​​​​​​Fighting for an Awesome Family Message 3: ​Making Friends for Eternity Message 4: What ​Destroys Relationships and What Builds Them Message 5: Finding the Love of Your Life Message 6: ​Becoming Best Friends with God PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe