Two Wrong Ways We Relate To Our Past
Do you have trouble with focus from time to time? If so, this blog is for you.
The importance of focus is emphasized in today’s passage in the book of Philippians.
Philippians is a letter written by Paul, a fundamental leader in the early Church. Paul writes this letter to a church he planted in the Roman colony of Philippi. He’s writing to encourage them to remain faithful to Jesus and be joyful in the Lord. Part of his encouragement is this exhortation to focus in Philippians 3.
"Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained." -- Philippians 3:12-16
Some people get stuck in the past. Are you one of them? Let’s find out.
Two types of people stuck in the past:
-Haunted by the Past - past failures/trauma paralyzes them in the present.
-Hall the Past - The "good old days" saying things like, "If I could only go back to high school. Those were the best days of my life."
When we allow the past to haunt us, we deny Jesus’ power to heal and redeem and we miss out on forgiveness. When we hallow the past, we deny Jesus’ power to effect transformation and we miss out on renewal and change. When it comes to the past, we need to put our past in its proper place.
How do you relate to your past?
In Philippians 3, the Lord tells us how we are to relate to our past and focus like a champion.
Focus on who God has called us to be in Christ, rather than on who we once were. This is exactly what Paul did. And we should too.
Philippians exhorts us to adopt a mature mindset that doesn’t dwell in the past, but looks ahead to the future.
Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. -- Philippians 3:15a
Focus on who God has called us to be in Christ, rather than on who we once were.
For Paul, his track record could appear impressive—one in which anyone might view with envy.
“Although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.” -- Philippians 3:4-6
Paul trusted in himself-his credentials, his lineage, his religious fervor and achievements seemed on point but it was all pointless because he was LOST. His religious success blinded him to his real need for the righteousness God required—a righteousness not his own nor one he could achieve, but one from Christ alone.
Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed everything. The encounter changed his heart; it changed his life’s call; it changed Paul’s view of his past.
But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.
-- Philippians 3:7
Paul was able to put his past in its place.
Have you? Are you still stuck there haunted by it or are you hallowing it? Paul can look at his past and say, “Yes, that’s part of my story. It’s who I was prior to following Jesus, but my past doesn’t define my story. I’ve been forgiven and I can move forward with freedom. I can focus on who God has called me to be in Christ Jesus.
For all of us who are followers of Jesus here today, God’s call on our lives is conformity to Christ.
My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. -- Philippians 3:10-11
The Christian life isn’t static but dynamic. Jesus doesn’t want you to only convert to Him; He wants you to conform to Him. What are some marks of being conformed to Christ?
Here are some broad brushstrokes from Philippians:
Each and every day we view every circumstance, whether pleasant or painful as an opportunity to lean into Jesus and grow to be like him. Instead of resisting God for the things that happen to us, let’s receive them as opportunities to grow to be like Jesus. What painful circumstance are you in right now? How might seeing it as an opportunity to grow to be like Jesus change your perspective?
By the way, do you know Paul’s circumstances as he wrote this letter? He was in prison! He isn’t complaining—get me out of here! He’s actually telling the church in Phillipi, “Hey, this is working out great. I’m sharing Jesus with others!”
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ.
-- Philippians 1:12-14
You see, our reaction to pain reveals what our goal is. If we are bitter and we’re resisting God, it shows that our goal is comfort. On the other hand, if we have a humble posture that receives the circumstance as an opportunity to know Jesus in his sufferings, our focus is in the right place. To elevate our game as Christians, we have to maintain our focus on who God called us to be in Christ rather than on who we once were.
The danger in the Christian life as we reach a certain place of maturity is to back off—we don’t pursue as hard as we used. “I’m good.”
Here’s the problem with that mindset: it’s wrong! It’s not the focus Jesus wants us to have. The mindset Jesus wants us to have, is one of constant pursuit.
Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 3:12-14
Paul is saying, I don’t want to just stay the way I am. I want to become who God created me to be in Christ Jesus! Remember, one of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is apathy. We have to fight that inertia. We must focus on who God called us to be in Christ Jesus rather than who we once were. We must keep striving for what is ahead. That’s the language used here…
Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
--Philippians 3:12
The verse presents the imagery of a runner who isn’t looking over her shoulder but is straining ahead toward the finish line. We’ve seen those races in the Olympics where the runners are neck and neck and they strain forward at the finish line!
That’s the heart we are to have when it comes to the race of the Christian life! It’s the focus we are to have again and again. And that’s hard when we’ve tasted success, that is a level of knowledge and maturity in the Christian life.
Achieving success is satisfying. But resting on past success inhibits us from progressing. The Olympic Athlete isn’t satisfied with just winning the qualifying heat, they want to win the 100-meter final. They direct their focus on the next race, and the one after that and so on. They aren’t satisfied with past and present success. Neither should we in the Christian life.
The Holy Spirit convicted me in this very area. As a Pastor, it’s easy to rely on past knowledge gained through Bible College, Seminary, and personal study and not; keep progressing in knowledge and maturity. Like Paul, I haven’t arrived yet and neither have you. I want to focus on who God has called me to be in Christ Jesus rather than focus on my past or present self. And I would ask that you join me in focusing on becoming who God called you to be in Christ Jesus.
I challenge you to sharpen your focus on God.
Stop focusing on your past. See through your past and your circumstances and give them to God. Focus on his power to transform you to the person He created you to be in Christ Jesus.
I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6
Imagine what would happen if each one of us focuses on who we can become in Christ!
We will become a stronger, more joyful, brighter Christian who puts the past in its proper place.
The importance of focus is emphasized in today’s passage in the book of Philippians.
Philippians is a letter written by Paul, a fundamental leader in the early Church. Paul writes this letter to a church he planted in the Roman colony of Philippi. He’s writing to encourage them to remain faithful to Jesus and be joyful in the Lord. Part of his encouragement is this exhortation to focus in Philippians 3.
"Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained." -- Philippians 3:12-16
Some people get stuck in the past. Are you one of them? Let’s find out.
Two types of people stuck in the past:
-Haunted by the Past - past failures/trauma paralyzes them in the present.
-Hall the Past - The "good old days" saying things like, "If I could only go back to high school. Those were the best days of my life."
When we allow the past to haunt us, we deny Jesus’ power to heal and redeem and we miss out on forgiveness. When we hallow the past, we deny Jesus’ power to effect transformation and we miss out on renewal and change. When it comes to the past, we need to put our past in its proper place.
How do you relate to your past?
In Philippians 3, the Lord tells us how we are to relate to our past and focus like a champion.
Focus on who God has called us to be in Christ, rather than on who we once were. This is exactly what Paul did. And we should too.
Philippians exhorts us to adopt a mature mindset that doesn’t dwell in the past, but looks ahead to the future.
Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. -- Philippians 3:15a
Focus on who God has called us to be in Christ, rather than on who we once were.
For Paul, his track record could appear impressive—one in which anyone might view with envy.
“Although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.” -- Philippians 3:4-6
Paul trusted in himself-his credentials, his lineage, his religious fervor and achievements seemed on point but it was all pointless because he was LOST. His religious success blinded him to his real need for the righteousness God required—a righteousness not his own nor one he could achieve, but one from Christ alone.
Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed everything. The encounter changed his heart; it changed his life’s call; it changed Paul’s view of his past.
But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.
-- Philippians 3:7
Paul was able to put his past in its place.
Have you? Are you still stuck there haunted by it or are you hallowing it? Paul can look at his past and say, “Yes, that’s part of my story. It’s who I was prior to following Jesus, but my past doesn’t define my story. I’ve been forgiven and I can move forward with freedom. I can focus on who God has called me to be in Christ Jesus.
For all of us who are followers of Jesus here today, God’s call on our lives is conformity to Christ.
My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. -- Philippians 3:10-11
The Christian life isn’t static but dynamic. Jesus doesn’t want you to only convert to Him; He wants you to conform to Him. What are some marks of being conformed to Christ?
Here are some broad brushstrokes from Philippians:
- Seek unity with Christians/not divisive (Phil. 2:1-3; 4:2-3)
- Grow in humility (Phil. 2:3)
- Servant’s heart (Phil. 2:4-11)
- Growing in joy (Phil. 4:4 )
- Growing contentment (Phil. 4:11-13)
Each and every day we view every circumstance, whether pleasant or painful as an opportunity to lean into Jesus and grow to be like him. Instead of resisting God for the things that happen to us, let’s receive them as opportunities to grow to be like Jesus. What painful circumstance are you in right now? How might seeing it as an opportunity to grow to be like Jesus change your perspective?
By the way, do you know Paul’s circumstances as he wrote this letter? He was in prison! He isn’t complaining—get me out of here! He’s actually telling the church in Phillipi, “Hey, this is working out great. I’m sharing Jesus with others!”
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ.
-- Philippians 1:12-14
You see, our reaction to pain reveals what our goal is. If we are bitter and we’re resisting God, it shows that our goal is comfort. On the other hand, if we have a humble posture that receives the circumstance as an opportunity to know Jesus in his sufferings, our focus is in the right place. To elevate our game as Christians, we have to maintain our focus on who God called us to be in Christ rather than on who we once were.
The danger in the Christian life as we reach a certain place of maturity is to back off—we don’t pursue as hard as we used. “I’m good.”
Here’s the problem with that mindset: it’s wrong! It’s not the focus Jesus wants us to have. The mindset Jesus wants us to have, is one of constant pursuit.
Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 3:12-14
Paul is saying, I don’t want to just stay the way I am. I want to become who God created me to be in Christ Jesus! Remember, one of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is apathy. We have to fight that inertia. We must focus on who God called us to be in Christ Jesus rather than who we once were. We must keep striving for what is ahead. That’s the language used here…
Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
--Philippians 3:12
The verse presents the imagery of a runner who isn’t looking over her shoulder but is straining ahead toward the finish line. We’ve seen those races in the Olympics where the runners are neck and neck and they strain forward at the finish line!
That’s the heart we are to have when it comes to the race of the Christian life! It’s the focus we are to have again and again. And that’s hard when we’ve tasted success, that is a level of knowledge and maturity in the Christian life.
Achieving success is satisfying. But resting on past success inhibits us from progressing. The Olympic Athlete isn’t satisfied with just winning the qualifying heat, they want to win the 100-meter final. They direct their focus on the next race, and the one after that and so on. They aren’t satisfied with past and present success. Neither should we in the Christian life.
The Holy Spirit convicted me in this very area. As a Pastor, it’s easy to rely on past knowledge gained through Bible College, Seminary, and personal study and not; keep progressing in knowledge and maturity. Like Paul, I haven’t arrived yet and neither have you. I want to focus on who God has called me to be in Christ Jesus rather than focus on my past or present self. And I would ask that you join me in focusing on becoming who God called you to be in Christ Jesus.
I challenge you to sharpen your focus on God.
Stop focusing on your past. See through your past and your circumstances and give them to God. Focus on his power to transform you to the person He created you to be in Christ Jesus.
I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6
Imagine what would happen if each one of us focuses on who we can become in Christ!
We will become a stronger, more joyful, brighter Christian who puts the past in its proper place.
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