Forgetting what is behind

Dear Friends,

NOVEMBER is remember month. First there is Guy Fawkes. “Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder treason and plot. We see no reason why gunpowder treason, should ever be forgot!” Then six days later there is Armistice Day, when we wear our poppies and lay our wreaths “lest we forget” those who for our tomorrow gave their today. Some things we truly need to remember so we are not condemned to repeat the same mistakes of yesterday, but other things we would do well to forget in order to move on and make the most of today.

It’s been said, “Women worry about the things that men forget and men worry about the things that women remember.” Make of that what you will, but in all our lives there are things we need to remember we ought not to forget and things to forget that we ought not to remember. Forgetting someone’s name can get us into trouble and so can forgetting an appointment. Even worse, so I’ve been told, is forgetting your wedding anniversary!  But forgetting can also be a life saver if we strive to be emotionally free and spiritually alive. For as Paul made clear in (Philippians 3:13) looking back can be a hindrance to us pressing on. Taking his example from the running track he says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Looking back in 1954 cost Australian John Landy the first four minute mile as Roger Bannister overtook him on the line to grab it, and taking our eyes off the goal can be costly for us too if we waste our energy and lose our enthusiasm by looking at the ground all ready covered.

“Forgetting what is behind…” is actually a fundamental characteristic of any Christian who’s going to make daily progress in their relationship with Christ. To move forward and grow spiritually it is important to forget past achievements. Earlier in Philippians 3, Paul listed all of his great spiritual achievements, which are greater than anything I know I could list, and said in their regard, “None of them really matter. They’re like rubbish.”

One airline, which ironically I forget, used to advertise with the slogan, “We’ve got to earn our wings every day.” Well, that is kind of how it is spiritually. We can’t run simply on spiritual memories. Thinking, I am okay today because of some great yesterdays I had spiritually, will not cut it. We have got to be restless for more progress, and that demands forgetting past achievements.

Forgetting past failures is also a must. “I look back on my life and it’s all a blur,” said the man who needed glasses and never got them! But we need not be hampered by a poor take on the past. There is always hope for the future when we look to Jesus. Remember when Peter had fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus said, “Go out there and fish again. You’ll catch more than you ever have or ever dreamed.” Forget the past failures. Only if we let them define us will they destroy us. God has a better plan.

The other thing that we are going to have to forget if we are to make spiritual progress is past damages. The hurts we carry with us, the wounds that deeply scar us and the words that still cut deep into us. We need to let them go. Bitterness is a terrible bondage. It’s like emotional cancer, and whilst it may be hard right now for us to get out from under that person who intimidates us, or dismiss those incidents that have hurt us, “pressing on to win the prize” means forgetting past damages. The Bible says, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” So get the divine tip-ex out and pray for the Lord’s help to forgive others having been forgiven ourselves. It is truly liberating.

We have an enemy that invites us to dwell on the past and be taken up with things that we can’t change or do anything about. Our call in Jesus however, is to press on and change what we can affect, starting with this day and on towards a future that has yet to be written.

This NOVEMBER then remember to forget the things that hold you back in the race that God has marked out for you to run.

Your Friend and Pastor

Shaun