Forget the Past

Philippians 3:13-18

Have you ever heard the old saying, “Opportunity knocks but once?” A well known speaker said many people take that to mean you only get one chance in life. They miss what they thought was their only chance and spend the rest of their life looking after the opportunity that got away, missing hundreds of other opportunities. Another old saying was “There’s no use crying over spilled milk.“ There is no way to change the past. What’s done is done.

Paul appears to have adopted another saying as his motto. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” We can’t change yesterday, but we can do differently today, and again tomorrow. The only reason for looking at the past is to learn to not repeat our mistakes. Notice his attitude.

“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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Paul didn’t rest on his laurels, counting on what he’d done to be good enough. He also didn’t focus on his failures. He forgot pas success and past failure, and focused on doing what was needed at the moment. The news media refers to teams having winning or losing streaks. As one coach said, if you’re thinking about the outcome of a previous game you are almost certain to loose the one you are playing. You can only win by playing this game, not by replaying that one.

Every Christian who has developed a little maturity ought to have this same attitude. The fact that you used to go to church regularly, or teach a Sunday school class has no real meaning today. Neither does the fact that you had a divorce, or committed some sin. What you are doing today is what matters. Trust God to show you what you need to do about the things that are past, if reparations or apologies are needed.

“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing “ (Philippians 3:15-16)

This does not mean we should start fresh every day. If we have learned to do something or started something good, we should continue to build on those things. We just mustn’t allow past success or failure to excuse a lack of accomplishment today. To that end, we can look to others for an example, noting that they are proper examples.

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:” Philippians 3:17)