No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
God can take your mess and turn it into a message. He doesn’t create the painful mess you encounter, but He does weave together the things that have gone wrong in your life in a way that propels you to something greater.
You may be embarrassed by your past, but it’s time to overcome it. God isn’t a God of the past. He is focused on where you are heading.
Actually, the more you look at your past, the bigger it gets. Can you imagine driving a car with a tiny windshield and a giant rear-view mirror? That’s a car built only for backing up, not going forward! If you want to move forward in life, you have to get your eyes off the past—both your failures and your victories.
As Paul said in our verse today, we need to forget what is behind. This verse reminds me of an old movie about street racing called The Gumball Rally. At one point, the Italian racer named Franco rips the rear-view mirror out of his car, stating, “What’s behind me doesn’t matter.” That’s how we need to live! You could live in the glory of your past accomplishments or the shadow of your failures, but our God is not focused on the past. He’s a God of potential.
God has a plan for you. He placed incredible potential within you, but to realize that potential you need to look ahead.
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