Forget It!

As I pondered a verse in the last post “Keep Learning,” I thought it would be nice to put a simple reminder for us to forget the past.

Philippians 3:13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”

Although, I admit it is hard. There are things we love to dwell on, things our brains cannot seem to forget; but praise the Lord, he wants us to forget the past. Since he wants us to forget the past, he will help us to do so. Memories good and bad still dwell in our brains. God can help us get past the point of dwelling on the bad stuff and God can help us to move forward for him.

Sometimes, I think about the mental anguish Paul went through as he saw each person in his mind whom he had put to death. I believe everyday he thought of Stephen being put to death with those stones. I do not think we can fully comprehend the mental torment Paul went through each day. When he helped see another soul saved did he think, “But, I put one to death.”

With God’s help, he had to put these terrible thoughts behind him. He even said, “I count not myself to have apprehended” He knew he hadn’t accomplished anything grand; because he said I haven’t apprehended anything mighty, but he knew he needed to go forward “forth” for the Lord. He knew if he let his mind get the best of him by dwelling on murdering former Christians, he knew he’d be of no good for God. Isn’t that what Satan wants? He wants us to be of no good for God.

Satan knows he cannot take our Salvation from us. Once saved – always saved! But, Satan works hard each day taking out one Christian at a time so they cannot be used of God. One of the main things he does is getting us to dwell on past sin or past things we could have done better. Some things we do in the past may not be sin, but we could have acted better or spoke better at a certain time. Satan loves to get us to feel unworthy to accomplish anything. If he can take out our life (mentally), our spirit (mentally), our spunk, our desires, or other personal characteristics that each of us have, then he can move on; because he has taken us out so we are of no use to God.

For example, maybe one has the ability to play the piano, but through various incidences in the church, one never gets the chance to play the piano. Maybe someone better has come along, or for whatever reason, one does not get a chance to play piano in the church. Do not get discouraged. Not playing the piano is not a sin, but Satan uses things like this to make us feel as if we are not needed. We get a feeling of unworthiness. We can even get depressed. This is where we need to be careful, and we need to do as Paul “forgetting those things which are behind” so Satan does not take us out of service for the Lord.

So, let’s forget:

1. Past sins – they are over with and under the blood. Amen!
2. Past memories that are hurtful and causing mental discouragement.
3. Past things people said to us that were hurtful. I myself can still remember bad things people said to me years ago.

Let’s forget it!

Let’s do as Paul, “reaching forth unto those things which are before,” Who knows what God will allow you to do today, this week, next month? Maybe God has a new talent hidden inside you. Let’s reach forth, let’s go forward and see!

Philippians 3:13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”