The Past

Something to think about

The Past

¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 

This famous and inspiring verse is used and quoted many times and rightly so, as it paints a picture of perseverance and steadfastness we all need to employ in our lives.  As I get older, I find I have not really forgotten some of the things of the past. 

Forgetting things of the past is not as easy as putting them away in some long-lost abyss in the mind.  Or covering them up with new more pleasurable memories and enjoyable activities. It actually requires that you bring them to the fore of your consciousness and deal with them.  It means not to turn your back on the hurt and pain of a memory or occurrence. It actually means  to bring it with full intent to your immediate and single-minded attention and laying it before God and saying, God here it is help me to forgive and forget.  It is not a time to place blame assign guilt or in some way push it off on someone else. It is time to bring that hurt before God and ask, heal me and release me. It is time for you to come naked before the Lord and ask for his redemptive power to work in your life. 

He is the only one that can release you from the past which will allow you to push forward toward the prize. When you bring your hurts, painful memories, failures, disappointments before God and permit Him to be God, you will experience a personal freedom that can not be obtained by human means.  You don't have to wait for years to deal with the issues that are chains around your neck. You can deal with them with God at the time of the hurt, and He will heal you. Yes, there will be a time of healing but once completed you will be able to move forward toward the goal. 

What denies you the future victory in your journey of life is not what assails you from the outside nearly as much as what binds you from the inside. The fears that are causing you to shrink back from what God has called you to do are the obstacles that keep you from the prize He has made available to you.  You do not need to conquer your fear you need to be healed from whatever caused the fear.  By bringing your life before God He can heal you, then you can forget those things which are behind and press forward toward the goal He has set for you. Forgetting things of the past requires you to bring those things before God your healer and allowing Him to do what He does.