“but one thing I do … , ” the Apostle Paul says.
Like I’ve blogged about it before, 2015 was a rough year. I can definitely say that there are still places in my heart that still need some healing… Sometimes it’s hard to forget and not relive those pain and hurt that I went through, not that I want to, but because it comes to mind and it hurts… I guess we’re all humans and were bound to remember the things that affected us so greatly.
I’ve struggled for months trying to forget and move on, but it is just so hard. I’ve talked to many friends and they encouraged to stay strong and move forward in order to be happy with my life again. Of course I am grateful for their love and words of encouragement, but again… it’s haaard. It’s easy to let those unwanted feelings to creep in.
However, I’ve been trying, like always. Not to make that sound super horrible because I do believe that if I keep on trying and trying I will eventually overcome those feelings.
Everyday I seek the Lord for strength when I’m reminded of these things. Sometimes I let it defeat me and sometimes I fight it off. It’s never easy and it’s always a struggle. Even up to this point I’m still fighting these thoughts, but this week has been a lot better because of what my pastor preached about this past Sunday that really empowered me to keep fighting.
One of the passages that my pastor focused on this past Sunday was from the book of Philippians 3:12-14. In verse 13 Paul says, “Brothers, I have not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do is forgetting what is behind and straining toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
My pastor really focused on this verse and the part that Paul says, “but one thing I DO…” Do is a verb and a verb is an action word. If we googled “do” it’s defined as perform or to carry out etc. Then my pastor talked about how we, as people, tend to look back to past and not look forward. When we look back to our past we are reminded of those dark days in our lives, pity ourselves, and relive in them. Instead, we need to look forward to our bright future that is ahead of us. When we forget the past we are able to focus on what Christ has done and the prize that can be ours if we keep pressing forward. Therefore, we should do like that Paul says, “forgetting what is behind and straining toward to what is ahead.”
My pastor elaborated more, but this was my take away from the Sunday sermon and what, I believe, God wanted me to hear. So whenever those unwanted feelings come across me this week I’ve been proclaiming this bible verse and it has really empowered me to forget what is behind and strain forward to what is ahead. I mean, I can’t keep looking back to what is behind me because it will hold me back from this race. I’ve gotten to remove those distraction and press on.
I’m just really thankful to God for speaking to me just at the right time and for really encouraging me to run a good race.
Love,
Chee Chia Xiong
