Forgetfulness and Faith

    

Phil 3:12-14

 

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

NKJV

 

I love the beauty of the Word of God.  I can study a passage of Scripture for years and gain understanding.  Then all of a sudden, on a day like today, a difference nuance springs to life that I have never seen before.  Something new to encourage me, challenge me or change me.

 

That is what happened to me today.  As I read this passage, I was reminded of all the application, teaching and preaching I have heard concerning the importance of forgetting what lies behind.  Always this has been applied with an emphasis on not staying stuck in past sins or failures.  A time or two I was exhorted to not hold on to yesterday's victories either, because they keep  me from living in today. Both are beneficial application of this passage. But as I read this verse this morning, I realized that there is yet a third way that I could benefit from applying this passage.

 

Sometimes in my journey of faith,  I struggle with believing because things have not worked out as I had hoped.   In those moments, I find myself left with less hope, less courage and less audacity to believe.   I recently had a minor disappointment.  But somehow,  without me realizing it,  I allowed that to completely halt my forward progress in faith for a prayer need. I allowed it to limit me, not only in that moment, but for the months that followed.   I was not even aware that I had done that.

 

I know when an athlete is competing, those that do the best are those who forget the pass that was not caught, the strike that they swung at, or the hoop that they missed. Each moment is a new opportunity to capitalize, and hopefully turn the tide in a forward motion.  A winning direction.

 

What if we approached our Christian walk in the same way?  What if we chose not to focus on disappointments or failures, but instead, focus on the moment at hand?   I believe that would revolutionize the way we live our lives.  You cannot stay on the road if you only look in the rear-view mirror. We have to look at the road before us.  What is behind us has little impact on where we are now.  In Christ, it has even less importance than we even know.

 

Give it a try!  Seize the moment! Believe this time it will work.  Give God some raw  material He can work with-  faith, trust and belief!

 

  Dear God, help me to live in the moment, looking to the future.  I choose now to repent of past sins and failures, as  well as disappointments.  I choose to go forward in You.  Please renew my hope.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.