CHOOSING TO FORGET
Living through time, we leave behind memories of the past, embrace the present and look forward to the future. The memories of the past that qualify as failures become painful thorns, whereas our triumphs become treasures that we tend to hold on to. Neither is helpful in our onward journey as a Christian. Paul addresses the Philippian church,
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 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)
Paul talks of our goal as a moving target. No man can lay claim to having arrived while he is still living in this world, because every day is decision time. Persisting in taking good decisions in favor of God every day till our death ensures that we enter into eternal life. The greatest gift we can achieve and the ultimate goal that God has for man is to attain the eternal prize that has been made available through faith in Christ. The picture painted is not one that is easy to attain, rather one that is difficult and for which a disciple needs to press on straining against his natural inclinations and the forces of nature that resist God’s will.
One thing that Paul advocates is choosing to forget. Dwelling on the past does not help. It is easy to understand that our negative experiences can bring with them a boatload of doubt, regret, guilt, sorrow and helplessness. These become thorns in our side and hindrances in our journey toward eternity. But it is equally important to forget our triumphs because memories associated with our triumphs become our greatest treasures. And where our treasure is there will our hearts also be. Be it a professional success, a good investment, a victory in some way or even a triumph with God’s ministry, memories of these triumphs tend to focus our attention on ourselves, taking away our focus on God.
Should any memory be retained? Certainly memories that help us to direct our focus toward God are to be retained and treasured, just like the Israelites were asked to retain 12 stones from the Jordan River to remind them of God’s deliverance during their exodus. And memory of every other experience that has been, we need to trust God to bring alive as the need might be in the future, if he so desires. But as a way of life, we all need to decide what we choose to remember and what we choose to forget from our past.
