The past does not always contain bad or hurtful moments that we just want to forget about. It can also contain amazing moments that we continue to hold on to. Holding to these moments can restrict us from moving forward.

We see this in the old testament when King Hezakiah tore down some very strong relics of the faith because they had become idols to the people. What had once been good, was now holding back the people from being able to move forward.

I believe we often hold to prior moments in our faith because God may have provided an amazing escape or miracle in our life. And we like the way He provided and how it makes us feel in our faith. But then we never move forward or look ahead to what God will do next.

While we should be thankful for what he has done in our lives, we should also "forget the past", in a healthy way, in order to begin looking forward to what God has in store for us next.

Philippians 3:13