Wayne Matheson draws from Philippians 3:13-14 as he emphasizes the crucial spiritual discipline of “remembering to forget” past grievances and personal shortcomings to progress in one’s faith. Matheson argues that humans are prone to dwelling on past wrongs done to them, their own mistakes, and current difficulties, often allowing bitterness and anger to fester. To overcome this, Matheson outlines three key areas of control: controlling anger by limiting its duration and intensity, controlling thoughts by actively choosing to focus on God’s grace rather than negative memories, and controlling reactions by responding with forgiveness and prayer, even to those who cause harm. Ultimately, the message is that true spiritual growth and pressing forward in one’s walk with God necessitates letting go of the past, just as God forgives and chooses not to remember our sins.
Preaching the Gospel in Faithful Fellowship
