The old saying that we should give without remembering and receive without forgetting contains a world of wisdom in its few short words. While it is not actually a biblical proverb, the principles represented in this old maxim are certainly found in the Scriptures.
We may not be able to find a specific biblical verse saying “forget your acts of giving,” but the apostle Paul covered the principle when he wrote: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13). What Paul says here can be applied in many ways – such as forgetting our past sins and failures – but it applies equally to forgetting or not dwelling on any good we may have done and concentrating on what good we may still do.
The Scriptures are even more explicit about the need for us to remember the things we ourselves receive. Paul shows exactly this continuing thankfulness when he wrote to the Church at Ephesus: “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16). Paul clearly remembered to give ongoing thanks not only for things he himself received, but also for others, too.
So we can certainly find a worthwhile reminder of biblical principles in the old saying regarding forgetting what we give and remembering what we have been given. The way to which we are called is one of gratefully remembering the gifts we receive and actively looking not at things we have given, but looking for new ways to give.
