Get Over It

Today, March 9th is National Get Over It Day, according to the National Day Calendar of unusual holidays.

Jeff Goldblatt, an entrepreneur from Atlanta, George, created this day when he was struggling to get over a romantic breakup. He even wrote a poem and began a website to promote this day.

The National Holiday website offers this explanation.

“It” may be a variety of things. Sometimes we need to get over the small things like spilled milk or traffic. Even news such as being passed over for a promotion, poor grades, or an argument with a family member shouldn’t cause us to live our lives in a state of misery forever.

Another way to say “Get Over It” is…

…Let it go
…Move on
…Forget about it
…Forgive and forget
…Bury the hatchet

To observe the day these suggestions are offered.

• Don’t fume over something minor any longer.
• Settle the score with yourself and your burden will feel lighter.
• Say goodbye to the worry of the “if onlys” and “what ifs” and look forward to days with a more positive attitude.
• Has something trivial been weighing on your mind? Get over it and use #NationalGetOverItDay to post on social media.

Now we’re not suggesting that we treat sin, or a serious problem in our lives with a flippant “just get over it” attitude. However, too often we allow some minor, insignificant “issue” to consume our thinking, interfere with our relationships, and impede our spiritual progress.

The Bible has a lot to say about letting go of the past. The apostle Paul possessed a lot of past baggage. Past sin as a persecutor. Past misrepresentations by his detractors. Past persecution by his enemies. Past slights by brethren. And even past disagreements with co-workers. Yet, his attitude reflects his willingness to let go of these issues, an admonition we ought to embrace. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14).

Too often our failure to let go of the past is characterized by anxiety and worry. In that regard, Paul exhorted, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).

In His Mountain Message, Jesus admonished his followers four times with these simple words: “Don’t worry” (Matt. 6:25-34). One sage quipped, “Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but won’t get you anywhere.”

In 2006 Dr. Walter Calvert did a study of the things we worry about. He discovered that:

40% of the things we worry about never happen

30% of our worries concern the past

12% are needless worries about our health

10% are insignificant or petty

8% are legitimate issues

So, 92% of our worries are a waste of time and energy. They are about things that either won’t happen or that we’re unable to change. Get over it!

Furthermore, even the seriousness of our sins can be put behind us. When we admit our sins, repent of them, confess them, and ask forgiveness, the Bible promises that God ”is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I Jn 1:9). Through the prophet Jeremiah Jehovah says He will “remember no more” our sins and iniquities Jer. 31:34). If the Lord can let go of our past sins, so should we.

Failing to put behind us issues we can’t change, will keep us from moving forward. Leadership guru, John Maxwell offered this advice. “Maybe you’ve made a lot of mistakes in your life, or you’ve had an especially difficult past with many obstacles. Work your way through it and move on. Don’t let it prevent you from reaching your potential.”

Warren Wiersbe expressed it well when he wrote, “I have a past, but I don’t live there anymore.” Or as Robert Plant observed, “The past is a stepping stone, not a millstone.”

Finally, the simple observation by tennis star Serena Williams: “I decided I can’t pay a person to rewind time, so I may as well get over it.”

What do you need to let go of?

Get over it.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman