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"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead."
(Philippians 3:13)
There are three similar words Paul uses in Philippians 3:13-14, as he writes to the Church at Philippi in the 1st century. The words are forward, toward, and upward. Paul was a forward kind of guy. He did not spend time reflecting on regrets or missed opportunities of the past, but he had this positive, forward-leaning mindset that kept him in the present with an eye to the future. He blazed a mighty trail in gospel expansion as he traveled the Roman world preaching Christ, planting churches, and raising up future leaders. This is my passion as a pastor and evangelist today in the 21st century: preach the Word, disciple people, plant churches, and train future leaders of the church.
Paul says with humility that he has not "apprehended." He doesn't know everything there is to know. He was still learning more about the salvation he had experienced in Christ and the ministry to which Christ had called him. No Christian ever arrives. No one can ever say, "Well, I have made it, there is no more room for me to grow as a Christian." We keep walking toward Christ and that great day when we see Him face to face in heaven. After that, even for all eternity, we will still learn more about God and serve Him in fresh and innovative ways. The Christian who feels he or she has arrived has not even gotten off the starting block.
Paul writes that he purposely forgets certain things. We often think this is a negative things, like forgetting our keys or our anniversary, but that is not the type of forgetting we are talking about. Forgetting can actually be very healthy and powerful. If you live in the past and constantly recall negative memories, then you do two things: you get stuck, and you harshly judge those who are getting unstuck. Paul did not do that. He chose to forget certain things. You and I cannot lean forward and look forward if we are always looking backward. Constantly looking in the rear-view mirror while driving your vehicle forward is not only difficult but very dangerous.
Rick Mellick writes, "First, 'forgetting what is behind' comprehensively expresses Paul's future orientation. What was done was done! Both the nostalgia of the former life and the 'good ole days' of his Christian life would paralyze him in terms of what God wanted in the future. Every day was a new adventure." (Source: Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 139). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
As for "reaching forward to those things which are ahead," think of the athletic analogy that Paul wants us to ponder. The runner strains every fiber of his being, every sinew, muscle and ligament to reach the finish line of his race and obtain the prize.
Paul writes about "those things which are ahead." God wants us to accomplish great things for Him in this life and spend eternity with Him in heaven. The past, with its victories and defeats, has passed. Thank God for victories and the sacrifice of those who have gone before us, but now let us stand on the shoulders of great men and women of faith and reach forward.
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