ODJ: forgetting
July 8, 2011
I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (v.13).
READ: Philippians 3:7-14
The river bulkhead where the Augusta Canal and Savannah River meet is one of the most scenic places to go in our hometown. Swirling in giant eddies, the canal moves from placid to turbulent as it flows against the foundation of the canal works. One day as a friend and I took our children walking there, I tossed a rock into the waters’ flow. Overwhelmed with the heaviness of life, letting the rock go was a symbolic way for me to leave the past behind and take hold of current hope.
Forgiveness is such a precious gift from God—something on which our very life depends—and yet we often struggle to extend this gift to others. When we’ve been wronged, we hold on to our offense in hope that those who have hurt us will realize the error of their ways. It’s almost as if a part of us believes that our concerns will not be heard if we release them to God.
Validation is a powerful need within the human spirit. But apart from Jesus, any other validation is fleeting. Paul maintained that nothing could compare with being in Christ and that no credential outside of the cross really mattered (Philippians 3:7-9). Jesus died on the cross to identify with our human suffering (2:6-8). Why then do we try to find communion with Him apart from laying everything down at the foot of the cross—including our deepest hurts?
The question isn’t whether offenses will come, but how we respond when they do (Matthew 5:11-12). God isn’t asking us not to seek genuine repentance from those who have hurt us—allowing for true forgiveness to be extended. But He is asking us to let go of what’s past in order to take hold of what lies ahead.
—Regina Franklin
Who are you struggling to forgive? What “rock” do you need to throw into the water in order to forget what is past? How is God’s command to forgive someone a reflection of what He’s done for you?
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