“Forgetting what lies behind,” {Phil 3:13.}
The word “forgetting,” means “cease to be affected” by it. It is to “willfully neglect.” We often remember what we should forget. There is no future in dwelling in past failures, sin, it’s like trying to drive straight ahead by looking in the rear mirror! You can’t go forward when you are looking backward!
“Forgetting,” is a command and present tense, indicating, he was continually forgetting. Like a runner, he was choosing to look ahead, not behind! It is to be a continuous attitude and action of living the Christian life. The fact it is commanded means you have the capacity to CHOOSE to do so. In order to press ahead and pursue Him, we first have to adopt and maintain this habit. It doesn’t mean you have “amnesia” and forget, for the evil one will throw your past before you, sometimes others will, but you choose to replace this thought and cease to be affected by your past through remembering what He wants you remember which we often forget, namely, “…and do not forget His benefits.”{Psalm 103:2.}. His benefits of blessings, including pardon for all your sin, healed the diseases of the sin sick soul, redeemed you from the slave market of sin, it’s ruling power and consequences and pit of sin and satan to now have newness of life, “In Christ.” A new standing in Divine favor.-{Rom 5:2}. He has crowned you with loving-kindness and strengthens you. And our response is to “Bless,” Praise, which means to “speak well of” Him! -{Read Psalm 103:1-5}. Isn’t it true, we often major on remembering the things we need to forget, and forget the things we need to remember! How do we change? Submit to Him and choose to place His Word in your mind, memorize, meditate and choose to THINK on verses such as Psalm 103:2. Think, meditate on “His benefits” and when your past, failures, success’s, seek to infiltrate your thinking,immediately RECOGNIZE it’s goal to to distract you from loving God with your mind -{Read Luke 10;27}. REJECT the thought and immediately REPLACE it with Truth such as what He tells you not to forget, “do not forget ALL His benefits.” In doing so you are RENEWING your mind, to the way He would have you think which influences the way you behave! {Read Romans 12;2}
Surely, if we CHOSE to THINK on “ALL” His benefits and Praise Him, our mind’s would not have time to entertain or be deflected or captivated by the things we should forget! Look Away from all else to Him and what He says! “In Christ” you have the POWER to do so! {Read 2 Peter 1:3-4}