Joseph stood in the palace holding his firstborn son.



Thirteen years earlier, he'd been in a pit. Then chains. Then prison. Falsely accused. Forgotten.

Now he was second-in-command of Egypt with a wife, a child, and a future he never saw coming.

And when they asked what he wanted to name the boy, Joseph said something that tells us everything about how he got free from the other prison, the one inside his head.

He named him Manasseh.

Genesis 41:51

> "And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."

Manasseh means "causing to forget."

Joseph didn't name his son after his victory. He didn't name him after his promotion or his power. He named him after what God did inside him; God made him forget.

Not erase. Not delete. Not pretend it didn't happen.

But forget in the sense that it no longer controlled him.

What Joseph Actually Forgot

Here's what I want you to see: Joseph didn't lose his memory.

He remembered his brothers. He remembered the pit. He remembered Potiphar's wife, the false accusation, the dungeon, and the years of waiting. He remembered it all when his brothers showed up in Genesis 42. He wept when he saw Benjamin. He asked about his father.

So what did he forget?

He forgot the power those memories had over him.

He stopped letting yesterday steal today. He stopped nursing the wound. He stopped rehearsing the betrayal. He stopped defining himself by what they did to him.

That's the kind of forgetting God does in us when we let Him.

It's not amnesia. It's freedom.

Joseph could have spent his entire life in Egypt replaying the moment his brothers threw him in that pit. He could have spent every dinner with his wife thinking about what he lost. He could have held his son and thought, "My father should be here. My brothers stole this from me."

But he didn't.

He named his son Manasseh, because God helped him let it go.

The Choice to Forget

I need you to hear this: forgetting is a choice.

You can't necessarily delete the memory, but you can choose to forget its power over you.

I've spent over 50 years in ministry. I've seen people get free from prison, addiction, abuse, betrayal, every kind of pain you can imagine. And I've also seen people stay locked up long after the cell door opened.

The difference? The ones who got free made a choice.

They chose to stop letting bitterness write the story. They chose to take their thoughts captive instead of letting their thoughts take them captive.

2 Corinthians 10:5

> "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Paul's telling us that our mind is a battlefield. And if we don't fight for it, bitterness will take it over.

Joseph fought for his mind. Every time the memory came back, he replaced it with the truth: God had a purpose. God was with me. God is making something good out of this.

He didn't deny the pain. He reframed it.

Don't Sacrifice Today Because You're Stuck in Yesterday

Here's what breaks my heart: I've watched too many people sacrifice the blessings God has given them today because they're still living in the prison of yesterday.

They have a spouse who loves them, but they can't enjoy it because they're still angry with the one who left.

They've got kids who need them, but they're too distracted by bitterness to be present.

They've got a church that needs their gifts, but they're too busy replaying old wounds to serve.

Joseph could have done that. He had every reason to be bitter. His brothers sold him. Potiphar's wife lied about him. The cupbearer forgot him.

But instead of letting those things define him, he let God redefine him.

And when his son was born, he didn't name him Revenge, Vindication, or Justice. He named him Manasseh, "God made me forget."

That's a man who chose freedom.

And that same choice is in front of you today.

You can hold onto the hurt, or you can hold onto the hope. You can nurse the wound, or you can let God heal it. You can stay locked in the prison of bitterness, or you can walk out into the life God has waiting for you.

The door is open. But you have to choose to walk through it.

Taking Thoughts Captive: Practical Steps

Let me give you some practical steps for choosing to forget.

1. Acknowledge the memory.

Don't pretend it didn't happen. Don't spiritualize it away. Say it out loud: "This happened. It hurt. It was wrong."

2. Refuse to rehearse it.

Every time your mind starts replaying the scene, stop it. Literally say out loud, "No. I'm not going there again."

3. Replace the lie with the truth.

Bitterness always comes with a lie: "God doesn't care. This was meaningless. I'll never recover." Replace it with the truth: "God was with me. God has a purpose. God is making something good out of this."

4. Focus on what God is doing now.

Joseph didn't sit around thinking about what his brothers took from him. He focused on what God gave him: a wife, a son, a future.

What has God given you today? Focus on that.

5. Pray for the ones who hurt you. I know this one's hard. But Jesus said it, and He meant it. You can't stay bitter toward someone you're praying for. Try it. You'll see.

If you've been carrying wasted pain and need help letting go, I've written more about this here.

Questions for Reflection

What memory are you still giving power to?

What past hurt is stealing your present joy?

What lie are you believing?

Bitterness always comes with a lie about God, yourself, or your future. What's the lie you've been rehearsing?

What blessing are you missing because you're stuck in yesterday?

Who or what has God given you today that you can't enjoy because you're still locked in the past?

What would it look like for you to "name your son Manasseh"?

What would it look like for you to let God help you forget the power of that pain?

A Prayer

Father, I'm tired of being locked up. I'm tired of letting yesterday steal today. I don't want to erase the memory, but I do want to be free from its power. Help me take my thoughts captive. Help me replace the lies with Your truth. Help me see what You're doing now instead of what they did then. Make me like Joseph, free, fruitful, and focused on what You've given me. In Jesus' name, amen.

Moving Forward

Listen: I know this isn't easy. I survived Stage 4 cancer and COVID. I've had my share of betrayals and disappointments in 50 years of ministry. I've been there.

But I've also seen what happens when you let God help you forget. I've watched Him take the most painful chapters and turn them into the most fruitful ones.

He did it for Joseph. He did it for me. And He'll do it for you.

The prison door is open. Walk out.

God's not asking you to pretend it didn't happen. He's asking you to stop letting it define you. He's asking you to name your next season, Manasseh, and let Him make you forget.

Because God isn't just healing your past. He's building your future. And He needs you free to receive it.

If you're ready to take the big leap of faith and start living from God's unconditional love instead of your painful past, start here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does "forgetting" mean I have to pretend the hurt never happened?

No. Biblical forgetting isn't denial or amnesia. It's choosing to release the power that memory has over you. Joseph remembered everything, but he stopped letting it control his present and future.

What if I've tried to forgive, but the bitterness keeps coming back?

That's normal. Forgiveness isn't a one-time event; it's a daily choice. Every time the memory resurfaces, you take that thought captive again and replace it with God's truth. It gets easier with practice.

How do I know if I'm truly free from bitterness?

You'll know you're free when you can think about the person or situation without feeling that familiar tightness in your chest. You'll know you're free when you can thank God for what He's doing now instead of obsessing over what they did then. Freedom feels like lightness, not heaviness.

Want more encouragement on walking in grace and freedom? Check out my podcast, Followed by Mercy, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly teaching.