This one thing I do...forgetting the past...I look forward...




I read a devotional this morning that I really loved...the scripture is a verse from the New Testament book of Philippians, which, for those of you who might not be familiar, simply means that it was a letter written from the Christian leader named Paul, to a group of believers who lived in the city of Philippi...



"I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Phil 3:13



As a general rule, I tend to spend more time thinking about the future than I do the past...but that isn't always the case. When it comes to relationships or disappointments in life, I have a tendency to spend too much time looking in the rear view mirror. But it isn't just the losses of our past that have the power to limit our future...it's also our victories...whether it's sadness or celebration, we have to allow the past to flow through our fingers and into our memories, so that our hands are free to grasp what is here and what is coming next.



What does it really mean to forget the past? We don't literally forget the past, do we? In many ways, we need our memories...learned information, the wisdom of experience, and the sweetness of loves and lives shared over time...the past helps us to navigate the present, and move toward our future. And so...we must balance the helpful aspects of our past without letting it immobilize or distract us from the now...or the not yet.



I love the fact that Paul is talking about looking forward to what God has in store...and even more specifically, to what God has in store for him personally. All of us have a purpose...a calling...a reason for being...whatever may lie behind, we can look forward with hopefulness and expectancy, because as long as we are still here among the living, we can know that we're being called to something more...and I tell you this today: God always finishes what he starts.



Use the past...grow from the past...build upon the past...but when it comes to living life today...forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead, and press on!




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