"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. 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." Philippians 3:13-14 ESV
Press on.
Move ahead.
Forget what is behind you.
Whether it is good or bad, whether anything made sense at all, yesterday is gone and done. There is absolutely nothing you or I can do to change it. No matter what happened yesterday, even if it was devastating, you have to put it in its proper place and let it go. Focus on what you can handle, namely today and today's problems.
We can't replay what's past or change what has already occurred. We like to think we can, we wish we could, often out of a sense of guilt or loss for whatever happened. I think this is why we see so many movies that show people being able to time travel and go back to change something significant that happened in their lives in order to make their future more agreeable. But like Paul said above, we are just not going to change the past.
And that is why Paul makes the only rational decision he can make and offers the same decision to you and I. Paul forgets the past and presses on towards the ultimate goal. If there is anyone in the history of the world that could have hung onto the past it was Paul. Just think of all the people he hurt before he had his experience on the Damascus road. After his conversion, Paul became the one that was being hunted and persecuted with the same ferocity that he once hunted and persecuted the people he now lived and served with, the same followers of Christ. Now Paul followed Christ and served believers called by Christ to touch the world. Over and over again he was beaten and thrown in jail for simply talking about his faith and trying to witness to those around him. He was completely uncompromising in his walk with Christ.
Makes me ask the question: where am I in my journey with Christ? Where are you? Are you stuck in the past, holding on to regrets, remorse, or feelings of guilt for things you should have done or people you should have spent more time with? Are you still holding on to grudges against someone that wronged you or hurt you in some way?
I know it's easier said than done but forget it and press on to reach the prize that is available to all of us for a continuing relationship with Jesus Christ. I say all this to you but I am saying to myself just as loud and clear!
Press on.
Move ahead.
Forget what is behind you.
Whether it is good or bad, whether anything made sense at all, yesterday is gone and done. There is absolutely nothing you or I can do to change it. No matter what happened yesterday, even if it was devastating, you have to put it in its proper place and let it go. Focus on what you can handle, namely today and today's problems.
We can't replay what's past or change what has already occurred. We like to think we can, we wish we could, often out of a sense of guilt or loss for whatever happened. I think this is why we see so many movies that show people being able to time travel and go back to change something significant that happened in their lives in order to make their future more agreeable. But like Paul said above, we are just not going to change the past.
And that is why Paul makes the only rational decision he can make and offers the same decision to you and I. Paul forgets the past and presses on towards the ultimate goal. If there is anyone in the history of the world that could have hung onto the past it was Paul. Just think of all the people he hurt before he had his experience on the Damascus road. After his conversion, Paul became the one that was being hunted and persecuted with the same ferocity that he once hunted and persecuted the people he now lived and served with, the same followers of Christ. Now Paul followed Christ and served believers called by Christ to touch the world. Over and over again he was beaten and thrown in jail for simply talking about his faith and trying to witness to those around him. He was completely uncompromising in his walk with Christ.
Makes me ask the question: where am I in my journey with Christ? Where are you? Are you stuck in the past, holding on to regrets, remorse, or feelings of guilt for things you should have done or people you should have spent more time with? Are you still holding on to grudges against someone that wronged you or hurt you in some way?
I know it's easier said than done but forget it and press on to reach the prize that is available to all of us for a continuing relationship with Jesus Christ. I say all this to you but I am saying to myself just as loud and clear!
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