Forget the past

But I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13 NLT)

 If we’re constantly thinking of the past and all of our mistakes, we’re not going to go on to the future and the work that the Lord wants us to do. After we’ve thought about our mistakes a little bit, often the best thing we can do is to forget the past. When the Lord says, “Forget the past,” obviously we must have had to think about it some; otherwise, how could we forget it? So we think about it and we do whatever it takes to change things for the future.
 We do need to reflect on our past sometimes. It’s not like we can just say, “Oh, I made that mistake; gee, I’m sorry,” and go on. To a certain extent we need to analyse our mistakes or failures so that we don’t make them again, but often it’s not helpful to keep doing that for very long.
 We need to know that we’re forgiven and there is no place in our lives for condemnation. God’s Word says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” We can let go of the past! The Lord blots out our transgressions and He doesn’t remember them against us anymore! —Maria Fontaine [1]

 The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. —Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968)

[1] Anchor The Prize