Forgetting What Is Behind

Generalizations are helpful because they show a pattern that is normally true. However, they are also dangerous because they ignore the exceptions to the rule.

Here is my generalization: It is a quality of the strong to be able to forget the past and move on.

The apostle Paul summarizes this idea when he states, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Too often, we trip over things that are behind us. We remember and nurse old hurts. We rehearse mistakes that no one else recalls. In doing so, we pull the past into the present and allow it to dictate how we feel right now. In these cases, we would be better off “forgetting what is behind”. No matter how many times we replay the incidents in our minds, we cannot go back and alter their outcomes. All we can do is live today and move forward from where we are now.

Incidentally, it is not just our past mistakes that cause us trouble. Dwelling too much on our former success can cause us to be discontented with our current circumstances. Too much looking back may make us long for the good old days when we were younger, healthier, and full of potential. Again, the effect is that we become discouraged with our current life because it is not full of amazing or fulfilling circumstances like those we remember.

Now, here is the exception to this rule: If there is something from your past that you need to deal with, please get the help you need to do so. Stuffing your feelings down or pretending that nothing happened is not a healthy way to deal with actual harm or loss. That strategy will backfire every time.

The issue is that we cannot allow ourselves to be trapped by the past, whether good or bad. We must continue living in this moment and not spend our days yearning for or regretting what went before.

It is a quality of the strong to be able to move on.

Comments

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly. https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants. Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do. Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most. In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks. However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like! Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites. That is not true. They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...

Consider This: Press The Button!

Consider This: Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy. I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart. These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult. However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success. He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer. Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act. You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer. If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it. Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...

Consider this

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog