“..this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind…” (Phil. 3:13)
Two men were walking through the countryside toward another village. As they came near a river, they encountered a woman sitting there, upset because there was no bridge. The two men decided to help, so they joined hands and lifted the woman between them and carried her across.
Later on, as they were walking, one of the men said, “Look how dirty my clothes got from helping that lady across the river.” Another mile down the road he complained again, “And my back is now hurting from lifting her up, too.” A couple more miles went by and he said to his friend, “Why is it you are not complaining about it? Doesn’t your back hurt, too?” His friend smiled and said, “No. Your back still hurts because you’re still carrying the woman, but I sat her down five miles ago!”
That is how some people are today. They are still carrying the pain of the past. They are still bearing burdens of things done to them years ago.
The apostle Paul had many bad things in his past, but he determined to not think on them. He made a choice to forget “those things which are behind.” He knew that you cannot move forward as long as you are holding on to the past.
Is something in your past hindering your progress forward for God? Let it go. Give it to Jesus and walk on in victory.