Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, “I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.     Philippians 3:12-14 HCSB

I have often found myself wondering, “What the heck just happened?” I have been in relationships where I have felt betrayed or deserted with no explanation as to why this happened. When this happens, I used to wonder if I could have done something differently or if I did something wrong. I used to feel the need to get closure. But I have come to understand that these things are distractions brought on by the devil. In any type of relationship, God should be first. God should be honored. If this doesn’t happen the relationship will probably come up short and may end abruptly or on less than desirable terms.

I often hear people saying they want closure. By closure this usually means an explanation as to why someone did what they did or treated them a certain way. They want to know why the relationship failed. I often hear people say they feel this is owed to them or this is the least the other person could do. I understand this because I used to feel the same way. There are a few things we need to understand. First when we enter into a relationship and leave God out of it, we can’t expect Him to honor it. We can’t expect God to go along with sin in our lives. If we are a Christian who enters into a relationship that ends up causing us to sin, we can’t expect God to bless this union. it is doomed from the time sin enters in. We have seen this since the beginning of time in Genesis 3.

If the relationship is a sinful relationship or one in which sin has entered into, we must understand that God is not going to tolerate this from His child or children. God is sovereign. He controls all things. I’ve said all this to say that when you are seeking closure, understand that our closure is in Jesus Christ. Paul said in our Scripture passage today that we should forget what lies behind. One thing I know for sure is that when I come to God and ask Him to forgive my sins, I want Him to forget all about them. We are told in Hebrews 10:17, “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.” 1 John 1:9 says if we confess our sins that God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God doesn’t keep our sins in His mind once we repent. We must forgive others even if they don’t ask for it. Many like to say I can forgive but I cannot forget. Do you want God to regard our sins the same way? Do you want Him to forgive your sins but keep a tally of them? I know I don’t. I want Him to forgive my sin and forget about it.

When we hold on to past hurts whether it’s because we feel we have had no closure or for any other reason, we hold onto bitterness and anger. We are told that we have to let go of that in Ephesians 4:31. If you have been hurt and feel that someone owes you an explanation, consider a few things. Did this relationship honor God or had sin entered into it? Can holding onto the past help you in the future? Our Scripture passage tells us to let go of the past and focus on the future. Focus on a future in Christ. Pray for Him to forgive any sins committed in this previous relationship and move on. Forget what is behind and reach forward to Jesus Christ.

Whatever we have experienced our closure should be in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. He is all we need. Trust in Him today. Pray for Him to forgive you of any wrongdoing. Pray for Him to help you forgive others. Move forward in a new life with Him. Close the door on the old relationship and move on.

Have a great day!