My husband sent me an interesting article the other day.
It’s an amazing story of a remarkable man, Brian Banks. But what is remarkable is not really anything he did. What is remarkable is how he responded to what he *didn’t* do.
Here is his summary:
Basically this guy, a budding high school football star, was wrongly accused and convicted of kidnapping and rape 10 years ago. He served a number of years and was most recently stuck with wearing a GPS ankle bracelet. All until last week – a judge threw out his conviction because the girl (accuser) admitted on tape that he didn’t rape her or kidnap her.
Can you imagine?! You’re 16. You are on a path towards sports scholarships and football fame. But then a fabricated crime – a lie – results in jail time. Six years in jail because of a lie! (And I have heard such horror stories about the impact prison can have on even the nicest of people.) Then when you get out, you have to wear an ankle bracelet. You’re not allowed anywhere there are kids – playgrounds, parks, SeaWorld. You have to register as a convicted sex offender. And you can’t find anyone who will hire you.
All because of a lie.
Ughhh.
What would you do?
- You could go The Godfather route, annihilating those who stood against you and your family.
- You could go the Count of Monte Cristo route, exacting revenge on those who wronged you. Destroying their life, like they destroyed yours.
- You could go the ‘Even Steven‘ route. In this case, the girl – the lying accuser – got a $750,000 settlement (from the school). You could spend your time and energy rallying and demanding that she should have to pay back all the money that she got because of her lie. After all, that’s fair, right?
- Or you could go the Brian Banks route. You could not demand the girl pay the money back. You could drop that. Be free of it. And you could focus on your future. Without the ankle bracelet. And all the possibilities.
Yes, it stinks those years are gone.
But that’s just it. They are gone.
Why waste future years as well?
It’s really the model of the Philippians 3:13:
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on!
(For believers, that’s “toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” I hope that’s Brian’s goal, but I don’t know him well enough to speak to that!)
I’ve always loved the math in that verse. The ‘one’ thing I do is (1) forgetting what is behind and (2) straining towards what is ahead. Interesting, huh? The one thing I do is really two things. But it’s so true! It truly is a both/and. Banks is forgetting what is behind – if the school wants their money back from the accuser, that’s their deal. But he is also straining towards what is ahead – like football opportunities! He has got to forget what is behind so that he is free from it to strain towards what is ahead.
Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible describes it this way:
Forgetting those things which are behind – My conduct is not regulated nor influenced by that of others; I consider my calling, my Master, my work, and my end. If others think they have time to loiter or trifle, I have none: time is flying; eternity is at hand; and my all is at stake.
Forgetting what is behind AND straining towards what is ahead. The NAS translates it ‘reaching forward’ to what lies ahead. The KJV calls it ‘reaching forth.’
Reaching forth – The Greek word επεκτεινομενος points out the strong exertions made in the race; every muscle and nerve is exerted, and he puts forth every particle of his strength in running. He was running for life, and running for his life.
We have got to replace the old with the new. Not just get rid of the old, but also put every particle of our strength into the new.
Why is this both/and so important?
“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” ~ Luke 24:24-26
Yikes, right? The both/and is really important. Sweep out the bad and put forth every particle of our strength replacing it with the good.
I’ve got to remind myself of this often. In some areas of my life, my thoughts keep ruminating back to the old. It’s not about just taking them captive and confessing them. It’s replacing those parts of my life with the new!
I have this in my kitchen…
Yes, those are food smudges on it. I’m only so neat of a cook : ) And yes, it is curling up from so much wear!
And I have this in my bathroom…
A bit steam-worn, but so valuable!
For Banks, this quote has an especially profound reality! : )
So what is it we need to forget so we can exert all our energy for life?
And what is it we need to tenaciously pursue so that the old stays gone?
As Philippians 3 goes on to advocate:
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. ~ verse 15
Amen?
a lil’ ol’ note: Yes, I like the quote in my bathroom. That certainly doesn’t mean I advocate an entire person or philosophy!
