“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
In 1996, I first became a Christian. I converted from Catholicism to born-again Christianity. When I told my parents, they were furious. They begged me to reconvert back to Catholicism, but I refused. This resulted in numerous fights, which all culminated in 1998, with my parents throwing me out of my home. I was devastated, trying to fumble my way through life. Through the kindness of Christian brothers and sisters, I graduated from school, got married, and lived a Christian life.
To this day, my family does not let me forget my refusal to return to the Catholic faith. They still hold it over my head that I made this decision to abandon my family and follow what they believed was a cult. The unforgiveness of that action so long ago keeps them stuck. They also want to keep me stuck in life.
This is easier than dealing with their realization that my conversion to Christianity was God's calling, not a rebellious act on my part. Although following God has been the best decision I've ever made, I long for the day when I can live in freedom and not worry about a parent’s or sibling’s perception of me.
The above verse encourages us to forget the past and move toward the future. It isn't easy to have a future relationship with anyone when you constantly hold against them parts of their past. Although it is essential to discern whether the person has a repentant heart and whether they will still commit those same wrongs from their past in the present, it is not fair to hold parts of the past over them and prevent them from moving forward, both in your relationship and in their own lives. It is difficult to move forward when the sin and guilt of past mistakes and failures constantly weigh you down.
Paul understood what it meant to be weighed down by past sin, guilt, and failure. Paul, in his zeal, killed Christians in the name of righteousness. It wasn't until he encountered God that he gave this up and followed God and, instead of killing Christians, helped believers spread the gospel.
He understood what it meant to press on forward because forgiving himself for what he had done was so hard. Yet, he chose to live daily in the reality of his interaction with God. Instead of continuing to carry on in what society believed he was, he followed God daily, knowing that Christ had sufficiently paid for every life he had ever taken.
Are you weighed down by past sins, mistakes, and failures? It's easy to guilt ourselves into believing we cannot move forward because we constantly look to our past. This is one of Satan's schemes because he does not want us to move forward to be used by God in powerful ways. Instead, he delights in seeing us falter in our thoughts and feelings about ourselves because we believe that we cannot be used by God or, better yet, we can't be loved simply because of what we've done.
But God teaches us that He loves us exactly as we are. There is nothing we can do to earn his love. Christ’s death was sufficient to cover all the mistakes and failures we have ever made or will make. Even if people in our lives choose to hold over our heads past mistakes or grievances against us, we can live fully in the freedom of Christ every day.
Let's pray:
Father, let us be people who forget the past and move toward the future. Even if we strain because others’ perceptions of us weigh us down, let us not allow guilt or shame to keep us from moving forward in freedom. When the guilt and shame of past mistakes weigh us down, please help us throw off everything that hinders us and move forward toward Christ’s loving arms. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/FOTOKITA
Related Resource: Anxiety: Practical Steps for Healing in Christ
Anxiety is debilitating and can leave us feeling overwhelmed, alone, and defeated. But what if there were practical steps and biblical truths that could lessen the load and aid us in our freedom journeys with mental health struggles? Pastor and Licensed Professional Counselor Susan Thomas joins me to discuss this today! Like what you hear? Subscribe to Bought + Beloved with Kirby Kelly on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Friday, 21 February 2025.
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