A Brand New Day, A Brand New Year

Philippians 3:13-14
"... but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Today is a brand new day! First day of the new year 2006! :) I was really blessed by the message that Pastor Kong shared this morning on 4 things which we need to forget in order for us to keep running forward in this new year:
1) old sins that have been forgiven
2) old defeats that get us down
3) old conflicts that make us bitter &
4) old victories and not to think that we have arrived

I remember that Pastor preached a similar message last year when he talked about asking God for the ability to forget about things in the past which weigh us down. In particular, Pastor drew our attention to the name "Manasseh" (which literally means "making forgetful") in Genesis 41:51.

I agree with what Sis Kless mentioned in her blog today. She said, "If only we can forget more easily, we would be happier people". And I find that to be very true. There are times when things get me down and I would notice that I have the tendency to do one thing: wallow in self-pity. It is not obvious to me in the beginning, but when I find myself continuing to think about a particular incident and rehearsing it over and over again in my mind, I realise that I become all the more miserable and depressed.

Therefore, Phil 3:13-14 forms the anchor for my soul today and, I believe, for the new year as well. I want to choose to forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead. I want to choose to hold onto the good and let go of the bad. For if I can forget, I know for sure that I will be a happier Sabrina in 2006. :) Lord, give me my Manasseh.