I look forward to Wednesdays because I am prompted by the wonderful Internet Cafe to use my creative juices and share God’s Word with a photo.
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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.
Doesn’t that happen to us?
When we refuse to let the past go (or forgive wrongs done to us), we are tainted by it. It has control over us. We can’t move FORWARD.
I don’t think it was a mistake that the word PRESS was used in that scripture. It is a conscious choice for us to PRESS — push against with determination — to MOVE FORWARD. It doesn’t just happen naturally. WE MAKE THE CHOICE TO LEAVE IT BEHIND US.
Do you find yourself rehashing old conversations?
Does your mind race in circles around the same ol’ wounds from years gone by?
We have all struggled with this at some point in our lives, right? But if this post finds you still doing that today, then make this the END OF THE backwards race.
Jesus has already done everything He needed to do for us so that we could walk in victory. We have the tools, we have the weapons, we have the Word of God, and we have the Holy Spirit. We CAN do this. I promise!
Forgiving others is KEY to us walking in that victory.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
We MUST forgive so that God can forgive us.
We MUST let go of the past and all of the hurts associated with it.
We CANNOT move forward when the past holds us captive.
If you can think of past hurts or situations and not feel the sting of it anymore, then all is healed. If the sting is still there, then you will find some wounds that need to be dealt with. Seek God in it, and He will reveal what needs to be cleansed.
I pray each of us will hear the gentle leading of the Lord to keep our eyes FOCUSED on Him.
For more Word-Filled Wednesday posts, please hop over to the Internet Cafe and get a cup of blessings! Click their button below.
I am also linking with the lovely Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience to share about FORGIVENESS. Find more posts on forgiveness by clicking on her button below:
Wow….this post struck such a chord with me today. I didn’t expect that.
I don’t think it’s forgiveness I’m struggling with, it’s moving on. Moving on from something that really broke me, and made me realize I should never lean full on people. I should lean fully on God.
Thank you Beth.
Love always,
)(ope*
I have been there before too. I was once so hurt by “church folk” that it gave me a really bad taste for Christians (for a short time). God brought healing as I cried out to Him. People hurt people because we all need Jesus. He alone is perfect. Bless you!
People get so concerned about forgiving the other person……basically they usually could not give a hoot..or do not ever know.
But we forgive to free ourselves and to quit the looking back or the nursing and rehearsing as I like to think of it.
Nursing and rehearsing … so true!
What a powerful reminder, we forgive not because of other person, we forgive to free us from bitternes and hatred.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you!
This is so beautiful and a perfect reminder. I struggle with a certain someone in my life that eventhough I forgive a hundred times over and try desperately to move on this certain person constantly brings up past hurts from years gone by…. it’s a never ending cycle. I have chosen to distant myself from this person as hard as this has been. Although I forgive her I can’t be allowed to forget by her. So I will need to walk away. Thank you for your beautiful post… I love being reminded of God’s love.
It is hard when others continually pull you back in like that. I pray the distancing won’t be painful to the other person and that God will make it a seamless transition. Bless you!
Wow! It was definitely meant for me to read this today. I have been struggling so much with forgetting the past and forgiving all of those who wronged. me. I have been praying on this daily for the past two weeks and I guess this is God’s way of confirming what I already know I should do, just let it go. God forgave me so why can’t I forgive them and let the past be the past.
Bri @ Ramblings of a Southern Mama Bri
I’m glad God used it as a confirmation! Hallelujah! Thanks for the follow! I’m coming to see you!
What a creative picture to illustrate that verse and that truth. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Karla!
Such freedom in letting go, and letting God. I can honestly say as I scan the recesses of my memory, I have no bitterness about things that have happened to me. In fact, God has used those very situations to grow me, and bring restoration and healing in other areas of my life. It’s all because of God. God is so much bigger than any one circumstance, so big that he will use it to make something beautiful of our lives. Love the picture by the way. It definitely gets the point across!
Thanks Sister! You are blessed that you have given it to God and allowed Him to grow you in the process. Those pains in the past definitely can be used as stepping stones to catapult us into a healthy life of freedom.
What a powerful word today. You’re so right in pointing out pressing forward is a conscious effort. It’s intentional. We don’t morph into forgiveness, we must purposefully seek to give and receive it.
Thank you for this post today.
Thanks Stephanie! Wouldn’t it be great if we could just morph into forgiveness, self-control … oh, the list could go on and on. Ha.
Blessings Beth, What a beautiful walk this morning!
You are so creative… tainted… is that like Lot’s wife looking back and turning to salt?
Really a wonderful message of walking in FREEDOM, forgiving and forgetting(?)! But what comes through for many of us is the MOVING FORWARD! Yes, to press on and allow the weights of the past to keep us entangled. Such wisdom in your words and even in your creative expression “tainted”… I’m so thankful for the Holy Spirit nudging us forward, the tools and the weapons to forge ahead.
Thanks for blessing me with your sweet visit. I’m so glad that you like Casting Crown too! They really do sing REAL songs!
Love and JOY,
Peggy
Peggy, I thought the SAME THING about Lot’s wife! Great minds think alike.
Yep, it is the moving forward and not looking back that so many of us get stuck in …
Have a blessed day Peggy!
It is so hard to learn to let go and give our past to God. We always want to hold on and relive it. But, God has called us to leave our troubles at his alter.
Amen. It is for our own good too. Bless you!
What a great WFW post…thank you!
Thank you Alida!
Hi Beth:
Just recently, I read somewhere about the past keeping us captive. It’s so true – we can learn from the past, but if we linger there, we will never move forward.
Great post!
Thank you Joan. <3
Not letting go of the past only hurts those who won’t let it go.
You’re right.
Amazing in image and verse. That’s one I’ll be thinking on long after this week is over.
Thank you Beth for visiting my post. Have a blessed WFW!
Thank you Julie. Have a great evening!
A great, creative post, Beth ~ Blessings and Love ~
Thank you Cathy. :o)
And we dear sistah are BLESSED that YOU join us each week and inspire US with your creativity! I LOVE this one and just may need to take a pic of myself like this! PERFECT! Beth you bless abundantly!!
Awww, thanks Lori! You can use colorsplash to tweak your picture like that. :o)