The Gift of Your Past

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)

We could have a question about the “past” Paul was referencing in the above scripture. At first blush, one might think of Paul’s past achievements, but it was this past that Paul forgot. After all, he was extremely well educated, first in his class, and a real go-getter. He achieved a lot at an early age. Maybe it is his glory or his pride in it that he was forgetting, but maybe there is more.

Why would we tend to think that it would be his past glories that Paul was forgetting? It is because it is how men generally look at life, especially when they age. We glorify our past. We think of the early years of achievements as our finest hour, as Winston Churchill would say. I know some guys barely dressed out for football and never played a single play on the field, but 40 years later, they are living an illusion of their greatness when they were 18 years old. They are not alone, for it is a tendency in all of us, including me. In Paul’s case, he was not delusional, for he was the real deal with past achievements. How did he see those past glories? In another passage, Paul spoke of those past achievements as being “garbage” compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ (see Phil 3:8). Even though I think his great accomplishments were part of what he meant as his past, I believe there is more. It might be his other past that was his biggest struggle and where a victory was needed. I think it was the bad things of his past that he struggled with the most.

I believe Paul had another aspect of his past that continued to nag at him. Through the Accuser’s voice, Paul would be reminded of his persecution of the Church. He would battle with the devil, people who would not forgive and forget, and his sense of self-punishment was born from sincere regret. He would discover that he would not be able to control the thoughts of this particular past until it was under his Savior’s control. This was a battle, and as with all our battles, we must declare our victory cry before we gain victory. Paul had to make a gift of his past to Jesus and receive in return a new future and perspective of himself.

As I read the account of Paul’s past and meditate on it, I am reminded of what is happening in my life and perhaps yours. I no longer return to my past glories. I see them as “rubbish” compared to the surpassing value of my relationship with Christ. That is not my struggle. My struggle is with deep regret for many things in my past. This struggle creates a condition of vulnerability where the Accuser can take his shot at me. But through many battles with him on this subject, I am discovering that I turn the table on him by declaring, “Even yet while a sinner, Christ died for me,” and “The life I now live I live by faith in Christ who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.” My sorrow turns to praise and worship, and the Evil Man flees as a result. I have to give my past to Jesus to be given in return the joy of the forgiveness I was given and was temporarily missing.

Concerning your Christmas gift to Jesus this day, I ask you to join me and give Jesus your past. Give him your past glories and as well our shame from the past. Release yourself of the anchor that keeps you in past mistakes, and press on to the heavenly prize that awaits you. Shut out the Accuser’s voice by declaring Jesus’ victory over your life that He fought and won for you. Remember, with every gift you give to Jesus, He gives back something greater. So give Him your past, and He will give you a future you could not even imagine.