Press on

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3.13-14

Paul knew he was not yet done. He knew he was not yet the man that wanted him to be. He knew he had not achieved any kind of ‘sinless perfection.’ He knew there was a lot left to accomplish. . He knew all about trials and setbacks and disappointments.

But one thing he strove to do – forget the things were behind and press on toward to mark of the high calling of God.

All of us can be consumed with the past and its victories and failures and it good and bad decisions. We can look back and get discouraged by our past, or we can look back and rest on our laurels.

It is easy to look back on a terrible past and claim that we can’t go on because of the baggage of a terrible past. Terrible, unspeakable things have happened to people in their past. Those memories entrap and enslave too many people and then they can’t even move on to serve God.

Others always talk about the ‘good old days’ where everything was wonderful  and of which all the memories are good.

But neither of those does any good. All the matters is that we just keep on keeping on. The one thing that God requires of His servants is that we stay faithful. We can’t get bogged with troubles and we can’t rest on past victories.

We press on, always striving to be like Christ. The Christian life is not a 100 metre dash, it is a life long triathlon.

Press on folks.