Forgetting Those Things That Are Behind

Phil. 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [a]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.

We have made it to the last day of the year. God has truly blessed, protected, and covered us. I woke up yesterday with a song, You Covered Me, by Donald Lawrence, featuring Hezekiah Walker. It talks about how we could have lost our minds or wanted to give up. But by the grace of God, He covered us. God covered us through trials, tribulations, and attacks on our bodies, minds, ministries, and families. God brought us through it all. Millions didn't make it to this day, but God's grace has brought us to this point.

In Phil. 3, Paul is warning the people of Judaizers - Jewish Christians that believed that the Gentiles had to follow the old Jewish laws of the Old Testament to be saved, especially circumcision. Paul states that conversion was not based on all that he had accomplished or his credentials. It was because of the coming of a Savior, Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and resurrection. It wasn't because of who he was or what he had done.

All that Paul gained, he counted it as loss for Christ Jesus. He didn't boast in his righteousness but the righteousness of Christ which is from God by faith. It was nothing to be compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. He wanted to forget the past things - his persecuting the church and look ahead to what was before him.

We all have things that we need to forget or put behind us. The year of 2022 was filled wth good and things that we may want to just put behind us. They are all working for our good but we do not need to get stuck in the past. Yes, we may not have gotten all things accomplished that we set out to do and we may have gotten off track, but God is able to use all the setbacks as set ups for what is ahead of us.

Let us not dwell on the past but grow in the knowledge of Christ Jesus and walk closer to Him. We are getting ready to step into a new beginning, a new year. We are "pressing toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." We are looking forward to a "fuller and more meaningful life because of our hope in Christ". (Life Application Bible)

Be blessed.