Good morning loyal ones!
The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14,
- 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, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ.
I love that God’s mercies are new every morning! He restores our souls. In 1 Timothy 1:12-13, 15-16, Paul obtained mercy for the things he did in his past. It says,
- And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Praise God that He is merciful and will not remember your sins when you repent and ask for forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12).
In the same way that our Father forgives us, we’re commanded to forgive one another. As a matter of fact, we’re to forgive the person who has wronged us multipes times throughout the day. Matthew 8:21-22 says,
- Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Whew, that’s alot of times, don’t you think?
When we forgive, we do it because the Word of God tells us to, regardless of how we feel. As a matter of fact, when we pray, we must be sure that we have forgiven our brothers and sister so that our prayers can be answered. Mark 11:25 says,
- “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
See, when we forget our past, for example, the wrongs that people have done to us, things we’ve done wrong, etc., we then can move into the great future God has for us. Forgetting and forgiving go hand in hand, whether it is forgiving yourself or others. When you forgive, you must forget. Forgiving and forgetting positions you to receive God’s best and go to the next level in your life.
When we forget what is behind us, we simultaneously reach forward toward what is ahead of us.
Our past is designed to keep us there; however, if we press forward, God has already prepared our recompense.
The Apostle Paul had to forget his past life as Saul, a persecutor of Christians, in order for him to move forward in the ministry to which God called him. We must do the same.
I would like to pray this over you:
“Father, thank You for Your Word ~ it teaches us how to live life as Your dear children. I ask that you help us to forgive and forget, because unforgiveness and a refusal to let go of past hurts will actually hurt us more than it will the other person. Teach us to cast the care of the situation on You, Almighty God. We refuse to accept defeat by holding grudges. This is a vital part of our spiritual walk. You want us to have every opportunity to receive Your blessings and Your forgiveness. Thank You for teaching us that forgiveness is not a feeling. We choose to not let anything keep us from forgiving and forgetting. We make a quality decision to have a forgiving heart. We turn to You for help, Lord, where hurt feelings are concerned. You are capable of healing us of hurt and frustration. You can restore any relationship. We choose to walk in love towards one another today, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Forgetting what lies behind,
Lisa Gordon
Gordon Ministries