Infuse: Leaving the Past Behind

Leaving the Past Behind
By Lloyd W. Cary

What troublous times we live in! The apostle Paul says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days” (2 Timothy 3:1), and then goes on to list a whole host of “signs of the times.” When all is said and done, most of mankind’s problems are the result of wrong thinking and wrong doing, resulting in wrong choices. Such is the cyclical history of mankind.

Human nature is largely made up of vanity, jealousy, lust, and greed. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” The works of the flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit are listed in detail in Galatians 5:19-22. Read them at your leisure. Without God’s forgiving Spirit, it seems that, knowingly or unknowingly, most folks make up mental “lists” of real or imagined offences, objections, likes, dislikes, and even hatreds.

Perceptions rule! Misperceptions color our attitudes and all that we see. Attitudes affect our feelings. And feelings, in turn, affect behavior. That’s the way the carnal mind works. When an individual continuously dwells upon, deliberates, and stews over these lists of real or perceived injustices, they become magnified out of all proportion until they finally dominate his or her thoughts. Sleepless nights, worry, distrust, frustration, anger, and retribution are usually the result. Millions of people spend billions of dollars annually on doctors and prescription drugs just because they cannot let go of the past and face a new tomorrow. Going over and over lists of accumulated offences—thus impressing them indelibly in the mind—can lead to the destructive “root of bitterness” cautioned against in Hebrews 12:15, whereby it becomes nearly humanly impossible to forgive the alleged offender. Christians cannot afford to do this.

Jesus Christ says plainly in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if [a conditional statement] you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Internalize this truth! If any of us have such lists of offences or have “lines drawn in the sand,” we need to burn those lists and erase those lines! No matter how “righteous” we think we may be in some areas, the attitude of forgiveness is prerequisite. Jesus Christ says so! The apostle Paul had a very simple way of dealing with such lists of offences. We should follow his advice.

Forgetting the Past

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind [the past] and straining toward what is ahead [the future], I press on toward the goal to win the prize [the goal] for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). What a beautiful attitude! Paul harbored no grudges or offences. He let bygones be bygones. “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble” (Psalms 119:165).

Paul went on to say in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” This is God’s “positive thinking course.” In other words, with God’s help, we can “reprogram” our thinking—we can erase and replace! We can leave the past behind.

We all have a journey ahead. And the goal of our life’s journey should be to win the prize—the Kingdom of God! Anyone who enters a contest of any sort does so with the goal of winning. In this “game of life,” our goal should be the same—to win the prize at the end of the race! Those who run in a marathon race must sometimes sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears. But the prize—eternal life in the Kingdom of God—is well worth it all.

If we are going to press on to obtain the prize, we’re going to have to turn our backs on the past and leave some things behind. Hebrews 12:1 commands, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

While some weights, sins, or handicaps may be easier to recognize and overcome than others, we are to throw off every sin, which includes attitudes of unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, worry, anxiety, and fear. All these things have to go.

First Peter 5:7 says we are to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” In addition to throwing off sin, the Bible tells us to throw off everything that hinders us from running our race. This lightens our load considerably, enabling us to continue and endure to the end (Matthew 24:13). There may be some things we are holding on to that aren’t necessarily sin, but they are weighing us down and holding us back nonetheless. That’s what the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread are all about: casting all our sins upon Him, casting the weighty anchor of sin out of our lives.

In the natural, it’s impossible to run a good race while carrying a heavy load on your back. Runners want to be as lightweight as possible. They don’t carry things with them, and some even wear specially made lightweight shoes and clothing to help them run faster.

Think for a moment. What have we been carrying around? What have you been carrying around? Have you been offended? Get over it. Have you been wronged? Take it to Jesus. In truth, one of the hardest things we have to leave behind includes the pride of our past accomplishments. Sometimes we want recognition for things we have done in the past and carry these accomplishments with us and wear them as a medal or trophy, so to speak. But the truth is, without God we could not have done anything! Conversely, Paul said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

In the Christian life, there is no place for people to rest on their laurels. Paul is saying, in effect, that the Christian must forget all that he has done and remember only what he must still do.

No one ever accomplished anything while living in the past. “You can’t drive forward while looking in the rearview mirror,” a wise man once said. How true! If you want to accomplish a thing get your eyes on the prize—the goal—and strain forward to what’s ahead. God has forgiven and forgotten your repented of sins. Upon our heartfelt repentance, God says, “’Come now, let us reason together’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’” (Isaiah 1:18). He repeats his promise of forgiveness in Isaiah 44:22, “’I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.’” Who are we to harbor resentment over someone else’s repented of sins? Although God is addressing physical Israel in context, the same promise filters down to all men individually. Do you believe God? Then take Him at His word! Forgive—and forget. When a friend—or a brother—makes a mistake, don’t rub it in. Rub it out. Men with clenched fists can’t shake hands. Give that list of offences to the One who can destroy it forever.

We all need to forget the past and become focused on the future.

“Drop That Baggage!”

Unfortunately, many Christians still carry around “baggage” from their past. It weighs them down, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This baggage may consist of feelings of guilt for past sins, grudges, old habits, and ways of doing things, or even of an unforgiving spirit of real or imagined offences of a brother in Christ. These heavy loads hinder those who carry them in their daily actions, tiring them out and preventing them from doing what they are called to do—just as carrying an actual backpack of bricks or a suitcase full of dirt around every minute of the day would hinder them and wear them out. Plus they can never grab hold of something new because their hands are already full—holding on to the old!

What should these people do? If it were a literal suitcase they were towing around, you would probably tell them the same thing I would tell them, “Put the suitcase down! Quit lugging that thing around with you! You’re wearing yourself out!” Spiritually speaking, it is the same. Contrast this with the comparatively light burden Christ asks us to bear, “’Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Christ died to cleanse you from your sin and set you free. You’re free! Put down that baggage from the past! Throw off that weight and that sin! Forget what is behind you and strain toward what is ahead. Press on toward the goal to win the prize!

If you’ve been struggling with the past and want to make a fresh start, pray a straight-forward, heartfelt prayer something like this, “Heavenly Father, I want to throw off the weight I’ve been carrying around. I give it over to You. I confess my sin to You and ask You to forgive me according to 1 John 1:9. Now that the blood of Jesus Christ has been applied to my life, I choose to let go of sin and of all the things that have hindered my walk with You. In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast all my burdens upon You. Help me to forget the past and press on toward the prize.” Pray that prayer and expect an answer!

Forgive and Forget!

Have you noticed how much easier it to forgive someone—after you have gotten even with him? It is extremely difficult to endure wrongdoing without resentment and a desire to reciprocate. In the end, revenge is the sword that wounds the one who wields it. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Matthew 18:21-22). Jewish custom taught that a man was to forgive another three times, but not the fourth. Peter undoubtedly thought he was being very generous by doubling this, and asked whether forgiveness was to be exercised to so great an extent. Christ pointed out we are not to limit our forgiveness to any fixed number of times, but infinitely. Forgiving and forgetting is a hard thing to do in the natural. It seems to rankle against human nature. Yet, with God’s help, that is precisely what we are called upon to do! “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay.’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19).

All too often, when we feel we have in fact turned our list of grievances and offences over to Jesus, we take the whole list back at the next perception of offence—and add to it! At such times we need to resist this urge and cry out to God for help! “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). Notice that resisting is an action—it is something you do! “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12).

The helmet of salvation referred to in Ephesians 6:17 is to protect the Christian warrior’s head, that is, his mind! We are to have the mind of Christ, a mind of love and forgiveness (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Adversary will always do his part to try to bring memories of the past—your old list of offences—back to your mind. He wants you to pick up the baggage you have laid down. Don’t entertain the thought. Don’t even touch that baggage! Yes, you can resist the devil when you feel tempted! When the devil tries to bring up the past, tell him, “Get behind me, Satan! I threw that baggage—that trash—away. The blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from the past. I am forgetting what is behind me, and I am walking with Jesus Christ into a victorious future.”

Let us examine ourselves. “Put on the full armor of God,” not just those pieces you are most comfortable with, “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11).

THANK GOD for His Truth! Thank God for setting you free from the shackles of the past! i

Movie Time: Starsky & Hutch

Theme: We must accept all apologies.

Scripture: Luke 17:3-4

Synopsis: Starsky attempts to apologize, but Hutch blows him off. Willis and Huggy get on Hutch for not letting Starsky apologize, so Hutch catches up to his partner in the hall. Starsky apologizes, and Hutch forgives him for talking bad behind his back.

Gospel Filter: No matter how grievous the offense, God calls us to accept the apologies of those who wrong us. Though it might feel better in the short term to maintain a grudge, in the long term forgiveness heals the soul and presents the heart of Christ to others.

Think About It:

Is a person ever justified in not accepting an apology? Why or why not?
Have you ever had someone not accept your apology? If so, why couldn't they forgive you? What happened to your relationship afterwards?
How does forgiveness help the person who was wronged to find peace and closure?
Read aloud Luke 17:3-4. Realistically, how many times do you think you would be able to forgive someone if he or she kept doing something hurtful over and over? Why doesn't Jesus put a limit on the number of times we must forgive?
Does this make Christians out to be suckers? Why or why not? How can you maintain a forgiving spirit without getting taken advantage of?
What prevents people from freely offering forgiveness to others? What must you do in order to become more forgiving?