"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:12-14)
What is meant by life without regrets is a life without excessive guilt. Regret is a very unpleasant feeling. There will be no joy when we are continuously haunted by this feeling. Guilty feeling arises because of our own mistake. If you still have this feeling today, give it to Jesus. That is why the Lord Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins and transgressions. It doesn't matter if our sins are red as scarlet. Lord Jesus will turn them white as snow when we sincerely come before Him. He is also the one who will wash and purify our hearts from the feeling of being accused.
Life without the feeling of being accused is possible. We don't need to carry this weight everywhere. One of the greatest blessings that God has given to man through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the forgiveness of sins. Not only that, we can have a hopeful future because we don't have to live in regret.
Paul taught us this principle of truth. Paul was an apostle who previously lived in sins. He was a murderer, an ardent God-hater, and he followed the Torah flawlessly. There were many things that supposedly haunted Paul. Yet, he had been holding on to a principle of righteousness since he met God.
- Keep Learning and Evolving
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,?but I press on to take hold?of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12 (NIV).
Paul was previously a perfectionist Torah expert. Ever since he met Christ, he was able to tolerate his weaknesses and grace. Perfectionism is not the fruit of the Spirit. Perfectionists can be dangerous. When one is perfect, he can become arrogant. Whereas when he is not, he can become insecure. Many people cannot accept themselves because they are too demanding towards themselves. Although God does not require us to do so.
The antonym of perfectionism is not imperfection, but the antonym is constantly learning and evolving. When we are slow, God will wait for us, even help and support us. If we fall, we need to get up quickly. What matters is the attitude to continue to learn and to evolve.
The person who continues to learn and evolve does not live in the world of 'should have', filled with regret "I should have done this or that ...". In fact, he would have a heart that is willing to be taught and is humble to be corrected by the Holy Spirit and others. - Forgive and Forget
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind?and straining toward what is ahead.” Philippians 3:13 (NIV).
Paul could 'move on.' However, many people find it difficult to forgive and forget about themselves and others. If we can't move on, we will become attached to the past and we will most likely fall into a vicious circle, which is living in trauma. We will find it hard to step up and march forward. Therefore, it is important to let go and let God.
If we have been wronged in the past, do what you can with what you have left or minimize the damage. When you have tried and there’s nothing you can do left, then move on! Think of it as a consequence or a tuition fee. Stand and run forward, pursue what is in front of us. With God, we will be renewed.
- Focus on Victory
“I press on?toward the goal to win the prize?for which God has called?me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 (NIV).
Moving on is not only running away from sins or mistakes, but running towards a goal. We need to remember that Christ is the Redeemer regardless of our losses, mistakes, and regrets in the past. If we run to God, God can restore them in His way. Run toward the Holy Spirit, because He will help you.
Run toward a goal. Focus on victory. Don't count the losses in the past. Don't remember other people's mistakes. Don't be too hard on yourself. Our future is still there. We still have hope for as long as God allows us to live. It may take time. There may be consequences that we need to bear. But remember, we are able to go through all things with God. He will show us the way to victory.
Peace does not mean that everything is okay. It means that everything is under the control of God. Do our part, surrender to God, and our future will be full of hope. There is no need to regret for as long as our hearts surrender, as long as there is responsibility, there is no trickery in our souls.
Focus on God's work ahead of us. Direct our spiritual eyes on God's work ahead of us. God hasn't finished with us. Whatever happens, learn to realize that God is with us. Our life is safe in God's hands. Believe that miracles do exist.
Excerpted from Ps. Philip Mantofa's Sermon, 12 August 2020, Youtube & Instagram Live
https://youtu.be/oiT9MT_1JmI
If we can't move on, we will become attached to the past and we will most likely fall into a vicious circle, which is living in trauma. We will find it hard to move and move forward. Therefore, it is important to let go and let God.
