Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
God is always giving us a choice. Some of these choices aren’t so serious. Things like: Do I wake up or do I go back to sleep? Do I talk to her or do I hide from her? Do I watch the basketball game or a rerun of Chopped? Do I buy low-fat yogurt or do I go all out and buy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? Paper or plastic? Like I said, some of these choices aren’t so serious. However, some choices are very serious. The one facing Paul in the passage above is particularly challenging because it’s a choice we have to make every single day:
Do we forget our past and look forward to what lies ahead or do we live in a world of regret and what-ifs?
Sure, you know the answer to this question... Of course we should forget our past and move forward... But but does your life reflect it? Are you actively pursuing Christ’s will for the REST of your life or are you still hung up on what could have been?
In a world of saving face and going through the motions, Paul’s humble plea in this passage is refreshing. His candidness and his honesty is energizing. His choice to move forward is exactly what we need to hear in our most difficult moments. I’m reminded of the words in a song by the band Relient K titled “Forget and Not Slow Down”:
I'd rather forget and not slow down than gather regret for the things I can't change now
If I become what I can't accept, resurrect the saint from within the wretch - Pour over me and wash my hands of it
It’s only through God’s grace and mercy that we can shake off our past and give our future to him. You should never try to do this on your own. Plug yourself into a genuine body of believers and ask God every morning to help you move forward.
