There’s this story of a man who was slowly losing his memory. After an examination, the doctor said that an operation on his brain might reverse his condition and restore his memory. However, there is a risk involved. The surgery would be so delicate that a nerve might be severed, causing total blindness. “What would you rather have,” the doctor asked the patient, “your sight or your memory?”
In such life’s emergency situation where you can only choose either sight or memory, which one for you is more valuable? If you were the man in this condition, what would you choose? To have your sight retained to go on living, or your memory? You have all what you’ve got in the past with your memory. Your sight will keep you in the light. But sometimes, in order to see the light you have to risk the dark. And often, those who have never experienced darkness at some point in their lives do not appreciate the light. If I were in the shoes of this man, I probably would take a lot of time to put things in consideration before making my final call.
But this man pondered only for just a few moments and then replied, “I’d prefer to have my sight because I would rather see where I am going than remember where I have been.” Why? Is the future more interesting than the past? Does this man mean he do not want any of his past remembered?
In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul made the same choice spiritually. His past, with both its success and shame, he chose to forget. What mattered to him most was keeping his eyes on the goal of gaining Christ’s approval. It is what we call the priceless gain of knowing Christ. In this chapter, Paul expressed about how successful he was in the beginning being a real Jew. His achievements included being a member of the Pharisees who demanded the strictest obedience of the Jewish law. So strict he was, in fact, he persecuted the church and obeyed the Jewish law so carefully he was never accused of any fault. To the apostle Paul, before he became a follower of Christ, those things were so very important until the time he had to travel from Jerusalem to Damascus to track down the fleeing Christians and bring them back for execution (Acts 9). That was when Saul, the persecutor, became Paul. Since his conversion, everything else was worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ and became one with Him. Anyway, Paul had reason to turn his back on his past and choose not to remember them.
We all have done things for which we are ashamed of. And still there is this tension in our life of what we have been and who we wanted to be. Since our hope is in Christ, we can let go of the past guilt and look forward to growing in the knowledge of God by concentrating on our relationship with Him. We are forgiven. When we confess our sins, they are buried in the deepest seas. Let’s not dredging them up. Therefore, we can move on to a life of faith and obedience. That kind of mindset is one sure mark of Christian maturity. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you (Philippians 3:13-15).
We can’t forget our past, of course, but certainly we do not have to live in it either. Surely we cannot change what has passed. And our past is what made us who we are. Any good we may have done is from God, so we can only be thankful. Like the Apostle Paul, his goal was to know Christ, be like Christ. This is a good example for us – not allowing anything to take our eyes off our goal, which is to know Christ. But if you are like that man who had to undergo a brain surgery and make a choice between sight and memory, you must really have a valid reason for choosing sight rather than memory, or vise versa. So finally, what would be your choice? Do you prefer to see or to remember?
In such life’s emergency situation where you can only choose either sight or memory, which one for you is more valuable? If you were the man in this condition, what would you choose? To have your sight retained to go on living, or your memory? You have all what you’ve got in the past with your memory. Your sight will keep you in the light. But sometimes, in order to see the light you have to risk the dark. And often, those who have never experienced darkness at some point in their lives do not appreciate the light. If I were in the shoes of this man, I probably would take a lot of time to put things in consideration before making my final call.
But this man pondered only for just a few moments and then replied, “I’d prefer to have my sight because I would rather see where I am going than remember where I have been.” Why? Is the future more interesting than the past? Does this man mean he do not want any of his past remembered?
In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul made the same choice spiritually. His past, with both its success and shame, he chose to forget. What mattered to him most was keeping his eyes on the goal of gaining Christ’s approval. It is what we call the priceless gain of knowing Christ. In this chapter, Paul expressed about how successful he was in the beginning being a real Jew. His achievements included being a member of the Pharisees who demanded the strictest obedience of the Jewish law. So strict he was, in fact, he persecuted the church and obeyed the Jewish law so carefully he was never accused of any fault. To the apostle Paul, before he became a follower of Christ, those things were so very important until the time he had to travel from Jerusalem to Damascus to track down the fleeing Christians and bring them back for execution (Acts 9). That was when Saul, the persecutor, became Paul. Since his conversion, everything else was worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ and became one with Him. Anyway, Paul had reason to turn his back on his past and choose not to remember them.
We all have done things for which we are ashamed of. And still there is this tension in our life of what we have been and who we wanted to be. Since our hope is in Christ, we can let go of the past guilt and look forward to growing in the knowledge of God by concentrating on our relationship with Him. We are forgiven. When we confess our sins, they are buried in the deepest seas. Let’s not dredging them up. Therefore, we can move on to a life of faith and obedience. That kind of mindset is one sure mark of Christian maturity. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you (Philippians 3:13-15).
We can’t forget our past, of course, but certainly we do not have to live in it either. Surely we cannot change what has passed. And our past is what made us who we are. Any good we may have done is from God, so we can only be thankful. Like the Apostle Paul, his goal was to know Christ, be like Christ. This is a good example for us – not allowing anything to take our eyes off our goal, which is to know Christ. But if you are like that man who had to undergo a brain surgery and make a choice between sight and memory, you must really have a valid reason for choosing sight rather than memory, or vise versa. So finally, what would be your choice? Do you prefer to see or to remember?
Bible passage to read: Philippians 3:12-21
"WE CAN'T CHANGE OUR PAST.
WE DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN IT EITHER."
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Galing!!
ReplyDeleteQuite an excellent blog you have here. The insight you shared is very provocative.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jimmy, I have enjoyed reading the blog.. Take Care, and God Bless You always
ReplyDeleteHi Jimmy!
ReplyDeleteIf you ask me what to choose, sight or memory, I'd rather have sight. I've made a lot of mess in the past. Forgiven and washed by His Blood, I'd rather see what God's plan is for me in the future.