“But 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 has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14 (emphasis added)
The dictionary defines forgetting as “to cease or fail to remember; be unable to recall”. Wow. Those words brought a skip to my heart this morning. Cease to remember. Unable to recall. The power of those few seemingly insignificant words suddenly take on a more intense meaning when I apply them to that scripture.
The study of Paul’s writings can sometimes be difficult for me. His words about women, about marriage, about a lot of things can seem harsh when not applied correctly. I have had to learn, through my Pastor’s careful guidance, to see these writings the way God intended for me to hear them. I still struggle at times but I am getting better at seeking guidance before jumping to conclusions about what I think a passage means.
I have been reading the book Kingdom Woman: Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities by Tony Evans and his daughter Chrystal Evans Hurst. All I can say is WOW. I am not even halfway through the book (I am being very intentional about reading it) and it has already changed me in a profound way. I admit right now that I hesitated to pick it up because I thought it was another “how to” book on becoming the perfect woman. (I detest books like that. They make me feel like a miserable failure)
There is a passage in the book that rocked me back in my chair this morning. Right after pointing out that God has given us specific instructions on how to move forward in spite of the obstacles we face, Tony and Chrystal wrote this- “Here is the secret to your life as a kingdom woman of excellence: a short memory coupled with clear direction. If you are going to live in excellence, you have to forget yesterday. Whether it was good, bad, or ugly, if it’s yesterday, you need to let it go. When you carry yesterday further than you ought to, you ruin today. If you ruin today, then you spoil tomorrow.”
I sat here pondering Philippians 3:13-14. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. If I change the word forgetting to the definition it reads “(to fail to remember or cease to recall) what is behind……”
Forget.
Cease to recall.
Press on.
I can’t tell you how many times my day starts with a Michelle bashing as I rehash the events of the day before. Often this occurs before I even get out of bed. I can’t believe I did this. I can’t believe I did that. I can’t believe that I……
Now truthfully I don’t think that this means that I can just run roughshod through my life, doing whatever I want, hurting whoever I please, committing whatever sin suits me and then get up the next day with a smile on my face because God says it’s ok to forget yesterday and press on towards today’s hash ups! Not at all! I think what Paul is saying here is that if I have done what I should to resolve any issues (Colossians 3:13), and I confess my sins (1 John 1:9), I am then given the peace of knowing (Psalm 103:10-14) that my Father in Heaven never stops forgiving me or loving me, which allows me to FORGET and PRESS ON!
We would love to have you share the verse that our Abba brings to mind each morning when you are rehashing yesterday! Or share how He has taught you to forget and press on!
Blessings,
Jenny, Freida, Ingrid, and Michelle
© 2014 BreathOfLifeWomen
Originally published on www.theunclaimedgift.com © 2014 MichelleWelch
excerpt from book Kingdom Woman: Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
ESV Text Edition: 2011
