Choosing to Forget

Philippians 3:13-14

 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Just the other day, as I sat with a friend over coffee, we were discussing the difficulty in letting things go. Hurts and offences, anger and frustration over something that had happened in the past.

And as we chatted, my friend said something that made me stop and think.

“That’s why the rear-view mirror is so 

small and the windscreen is so big”

If we go through life continually peering into the rear-view mirror as we try to go forward, we’re not going to get very far before we crash. We have a huge windscreen in front of us to look through and only a small rear-view mirror, but why is it we often choose to strain our eyes looking into the little mirror that shows us what has gone on before and reminds us of past hurts, instead of opening our eyes wide, and scanning the horizon through the large window in front of us?

The verse in Philippians reminds us to forget the past and look towards the future. Paul’s focus was on forward momentum, not prior mistakes. We cannot move forward if our thoughts and our eyes are focused on the past.

Often times we let past offences sew seeds of bitterness in our hearts and this bitterness grows and matures until it has overwhelmed us.

We definitely need to make sure that we have dealt with things in the Biblical way and done everything we can to resolve any conflict before we move forward. Yes, we are only human, and we have a tendency to forgive but not forget. It’s hard not to relive those moments of pain. It’s hard to squash those thoughts as they well up inside us in times of weakness. But we have the Lord’s example of casting our sins into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:18-19

 18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

The rear-view mirror grows larger and larger and the windscreen smaller and smaller as we choose to dwell on the past and pretty soon we find ourselves overturned in the ditch.

Proverbs 4:25

25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

This verse in Proverbs reminds us to look straight forward. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord and what he has for us. We don’t need to dwell on what he has already forgiven.

Ecclesiastes 3:6

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

There is a time to cast away. That time is now. If you have dealt with the hurt and offence the way the Lord would have you deal with it, then make an intentional, determined choice to let it go. Leave it with the Lord and Let. It. Go.

Our anger and bitterness need to go and we need to replace it with love, forgiveness and kindness.

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The Lord Jesus is the best example. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities and yet he forgave. He forgave. He loved. He went forward to carry out God’s will.

Hebrews 12:2

 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If you’re hurting today, if you’re finding it hard to forgive and forget, think about the road ahead. Remember that to move forward requires looking forward. If you are focused on the path that rises before you, and not the track that lies behind you, you will be able to steer a straight course. You will be able to become who the Lord wants you to be. You will be able to accomplish the will of the Lord.

Luke 9:62

  62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.