It was a cold and bitter winter and the Snow deeply covered the ground. Three young boys were playing in it enjoying themselves oblivious to the cold. A man came along and said to them, "Would you like to try to race, and the winner will get a prize?"
The boys agreed, and the man told them that this race was going to be different. "I will go to the other side of the field," he said, "and when I give you the signal, you will start to run. The one whose Footsteps are the straightest in the snow will be the winner."
As the race commenced, the first boy began looking at his feet to see if his steps were straight. The second lad kept looking at his companions to see what they were doing; but the third boy just ran on with his eyes fixed on the man on the other side of the field.
It was the third boy who won the race because his footsteps were straight in the snow. He had kept his eyes on the goal Ahead of him.
With all of the distractions this world throws at us, it isn't too difficult to understand how one can get distracted. Not only by the present but by our past, that is our past deeds, accomplishments and failures. The problem of the past is that they are mostly in our minds and we can't Forget about them. As such, they can become a stumbling block as we "press on toward the goal" in developing a closer relationship with our Lord.
A long time ago, another man using similar words taught the same principle. It was Paul who said, "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" (Phi_3:13-14).
Adam Clark in his commentary wrote about what Paul was saying, "Whatever gifts, graces, or honors I may have received from Jesus Christ, I consider every thing as incomplete till I have finished my course, got this crown, and have my body raised and fashioned after his glorious body."
Because we have a Memory, some times we can forget this. When God created man, He gave us a memory. Memory serves a number of purposes. Memory can be a learning tool for us which is beneficial but it can also be something that is holding us back from drawing closer to the Lord. Even good memories. The significant factor is how much importance we place on that memory in comparison to what our Lord has ahead for us. Anything that holds us back isn't really a good thing.
As Paul points out, it is important that we "forget what is behind". He's specifically speaking about anything that might hold us back, good or bad, as we move forward towards the prize Christ has for each of us.
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