FORGET THE PAST AND PRESS ON

But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. Philippians 3:13 (NKJV)

In a storm, one of the greatest temptations we face is to focus on the past and give in to defeat.

But Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Notice it doesn’t say joy takes months or years to come! Maybe you’ve lost a loved one or you’re in the middle of a dark night in your life—but joy is coming.

You may say, “But Leon, I don’t understand why this happened to me.” The truth is, nobody has figured out their losses, and you could spend years trying to work through your past.

Today’s verse says to forget what’s behind and press forward. It’s easier to dwell on our heartaches and never heal or move on. But we can’t camp out in a place of mourning and think there are no more opportunities or blessings coming our way.

Now don’t get me wrong. Moving forward doesn’t mean we forget those we love or what we’ve learned from past mistakes. Think of it like a car’s windshield—it’s much bigger than the rear-view mirrors. But some people’s mental “cars” have tiny windshields and giant rear-view mirrors. They spend more time looking back than looking forward, and they miss what God has ahead of them.

Decide that the best of your life is still to come. In this fallen world, we all deal with weakness and failure. But God designed you to walk in His strength. Focus your eyes forward and step into the incredible future He has for you!