“Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, CEB).
In a poignant scene from Forest Gump, Forest makes the following statement: “My mama always said, ‘You’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.’” These words come after Forest had run for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours. He had crossed the United States almost five times during this period.
Many would call Forest’s actions a form of therapy. Forest initiated his run after discovering his soulmate, Jenny, had left him for the third time. In most instances, exercise is a healthy, but short-term means of dealing with emotionally painful memories. It took a good while, yet Forest ultimately recognized he couldn’t outrun his grief.
Paul made a bold remark that can lead to confusion: “I forget about the things behind me…”(Philippians 3:13). In this instance forgetting is not equivalent to not remembering. None of us possesses the capacity to erase our memories at will. However, Paul strongly suggests that it is possible to cease the practice of reliving the past.
Reliving the past is a challenge for those who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The goal for these persons is to recall the traumatic event without being held victim by the event.
Paul achieved this freedom from the tyranny of victimization by looking forward to the “prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.” Paul is claiming that God is calling you away from the captivity of reliving your past by rather looking toward and embracing the good things God is preparing for you. No, you will never outrun your past. But you can deny your past permission to ruin you.
The good news is that Forest ultimately stopped running in the wrong direction. Instead, he changed course and found peace. So can you.
In a poignant scene from Forest Gump, Forest makes the following statement: “My mama always said, ‘You’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.’” These words come after Forest had run for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours. He had crossed the United States almost five times during this period.
Many would call Forest’s actions a form of therapy. Forest initiated his run after discovering his soulmate, Jenny, had left him for the third time. In most instances, exercise is a healthy, but short-term means of dealing with emotionally painful memories. It took a good while, yet Forest ultimately recognized he couldn’t outrun his grief.
Paul made a bold remark that can lead to confusion: “I forget about the things behind me…”(Philippians 3:13). In this instance forgetting is not equivalent to not remembering. None of us possesses the capacity to erase our memories at will. However, Paul strongly suggests that it is possible to cease the practice of reliving the past.
Reliving the past is a challenge for those who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The goal for these persons is to recall the traumatic event without being held victim by the event.
Paul achieved this freedom from the tyranny of victimization by looking forward to the “prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.” Paul is claiming that God is calling you away from the captivity of reliving your past by rather looking toward and embracing the good things God is preparing for you. No, you will never outrun your past. But you can deny your past permission to ruin you.
The good news is that Forest ultimately stopped running in the wrong direction. Instead, he changed course and found peace. So can you.