“Self-forgetfulness is what happens when we’re emotionally healthy.”

A thought by Brant Hansen (2015-04-14) from his book, Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better (p. 194). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

So what does self-forgiveness mean?  Brant says, “Self-forgetfulness is not about mystically wishing myself into nonexistence or pretending I’m meaningless. It’s just the opposite. Self-forgetfulness is what happens when we’re emotionally healthy. It’s remembering that God is my defender, His opinion is what matters, and whatever my offenders are doing to me, I’ve done to others as well. And God has forgiven me. I simply must forgive in return and forfeit my right to anger.”

He then says, “So it’s not about ‘clearing the mind’ or embracing nothingness. On the contrary; rather than clearing my mind, I have to remind myself of those larger truths. I have to consider others better than myself, consider how the lilies of the field don’t worry about themselves.”

He finishes this by saying, “Consider. Remind myself. Remember that, ultimately, there’s something greater happening, a deeper story at work in the world, and at work in me.

As Jesus said on Good Friday, “Father, forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing.”  In other words, there was something greater happening in the world, Good Friday was happening but Easter, the Resurrection was just three days away.

That is what it means to really be healthy, don’t you think?