When Paul wrote his now famous words in the 3rd chapter of the book of Philippians, ". . .forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal. . .", I doubt that he knew the impact those words would be making in my life in the year 2009. No in fact, I'm confident that Paul in a letter sent to one of his favorite churches in the City of Philippi was trying to encourage them and to share with them the reason for his hope and his joy. And so he tells them - I'm not perfect, I have not attained all that God has for me, but I'm not gonna continue to spend my life looking backwards with regret - yes, I killed Christians and yes, I held the coats of executioners with big rocks who stoned Stephen - BUT I'm forgetting those things which are behind me and I'm MOVING FORWARD.
I believe that God has placed within each of us amazing dreams, awesome opportunities and unbelievable hope and yet because of the mistakes of yesterday, the condemnation of the past and the reminders of others, we many times disqualify ourselves from God's best and we are satisfied with mediocrity because that's what we determine we are deserving based on yesterday. We think that somehow a mistake we made in a moment of weakness OR maybe even a bunch of moments of weakness somehow places us outside of the mercies and grace of our great God. As if the mistakes of our past are somehow bigger than the ones Jesus died for. As if His grace is somehow nullified because our memory won't allow us to forget.
Today, I'm MOVING FORWARD. Yesterday, I can't change. You can't either. The only thing I can control is my response to yesterday. I could wallow in self-pity begging for each breath as the waves of doubt and disillusionment crash in on me threatening to rob me of the very life that God created for me. OR I can MOVE FORWARD. I could continue to look backward reminding myself over and over of my mistakes and live an existence of condemnation and misery. OR I can MOVE FORWARD. I could question my existence, wonder if I'm even worthy and listen to the naysayers who say I'm not. OR I can MOVE FORWARD.
Paul's words have brought me such comfort and they should you as well. "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. . ." Think about those words for a moment. Releasing the past into the hands of God, Paul says he reaches forward. Paul lets us know that regardless of the damage of his past, regardless of how bad it may have been, regardless of what others were saying about him - Paul says that God had placed before him a goal, a prize, a future that was worthwhile that he was reaching forward to obtain. He hadn't reached it yet but he was not going to allow the past to rob him of his future . . . and you shouldn't either.
I'm not who others say I am. I'm not who my past says I am. I'm not who my enemies think I am. I'm not who my friends think I am. I'm not who the devil thinks I am. I am simply who God thinks I am. Because of his death at Calvary and His subsequent resurrection from the grave - I am Forgiven. I am His child. I am filled with His Spirit. My present in His hands. My future is secure. I am in Christ - and if any man is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away and all things have become new. In Christ, I am forgiven. In Christ, I am secure. In Christ, I am free. Free from the past - free from the condemnation of others - free from the clutches of sin. I am free. And you can be too.
What dreams has God placed in you that you have allowed mistakes of yesterday convince you will never come to pass? What goals have you given up on because you thought your mistakes disqualified you from your future? What promises do you think God has chosen not to fulfill because you have made too many mistakes? It's time to forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead and press toward the goal. It's time to dream again. It's time to believe again. It's time to trust in God's promises again! It's time to MOVE FORWARD!
Let's together follow the example of the Apostle Paul - let's forget and let's MOVE FORWARD. God's plan and the future He has for each of us are bigger than the mistakes of yesterday. If we've confessed our mistakes, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It's time to forget yesterday and move forward into the future God has for you!
Until next time, I'm MOVING FORWARD - God bless each of you - I love you all! --- RP
I believe that God has placed within each of us amazing dreams, awesome opportunities and unbelievable hope and yet because of the mistakes of yesterday, the condemnation of the past and the reminders of others, we many times disqualify ourselves from God's best and we are satisfied with mediocrity because that's what we determine we are deserving based on yesterday. We think that somehow a mistake we made in a moment of weakness OR maybe even a bunch of moments of weakness somehow places us outside of the mercies and grace of our great God. As if the mistakes of our past are somehow bigger than the ones Jesus died for. As if His grace is somehow nullified because our memory won't allow us to forget.
Today, I'm MOVING FORWARD. Yesterday, I can't change. You can't either. The only thing I can control is my response to yesterday. I could wallow in self-pity begging for each breath as the waves of doubt and disillusionment crash in on me threatening to rob me of the very life that God created for me. OR I can MOVE FORWARD. I could continue to look backward reminding myself over and over of my mistakes and live an existence of condemnation and misery. OR I can MOVE FORWARD. I could question my existence, wonder if I'm even worthy and listen to the naysayers who say I'm not. OR I can MOVE FORWARD.
Paul's words have brought me such comfort and they should you as well. "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. . ." Think about those words for a moment. Releasing the past into the hands of God, Paul says he reaches forward. Paul lets us know that regardless of the damage of his past, regardless of how bad it may have been, regardless of what others were saying about him - Paul says that God had placed before him a goal, a prize, a future that was worthwhile that he was reaching forward to obtain. He hadn't reached it yet but he was not going to allow the past to rob him of his future . . . and you shouldn't either.
I'm not who others say I am. I'm not who my past says I am. I'm not who my enemies think I am. I'm not who my friends think I am. I'm not who the devil thinks I am. I am simply who God thinks I am. Because of his death at Calvary and His subsequent resurrection from the grave - I am Forgiven. I am His child. I am filled with His Spirit. My present in His hands. My future is secure. I am in Christ - and if any man is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away and all things have become new. In Christ, I am forgiven. In Christ, I am secure. In Christ, I am free. Free from the past - free from the condemnation of others - free from the clutches of sin. I am free. And you can be too.
What dreams has God placed in you that you have allowed mistakes of yesterday convince you will never come to pass? What goals have you given up on because you thought your mistakes disqualified you from your future? What promises do you think God has chosen not to fulfill because you have made too many mistakes? It's time to forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead and press toward the goal. It's time to dream again. It's time to believe again. It's time to trust in God's promises again! It's time to MOVE FORWARD!
Let's together follow the example of the Apostle Paul - let's forget and let's MOVE FORWARD. God's plan and the future He has for each of us are bigger than the mistakes of yesterday. If we've confessed our mistakes, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It's time to forget yesterday and move forward into the future God has for you!
Until next time, I'm MOVING FORWARD - God bless each of you - I love you all! --- RP
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