PRESS ON

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;
but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind
and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.
Philippians 3:13

The world tells you that the dominating influence in your life is your past. The world is ready with a multitude of talking points to prove this idea. For example, the world will say that if you came from a difficult home life, then that will determine the direction of your life. Or they will tell you the condition of your life is dictated by how unfairly your culture has been treated. They will tell you that you will spend the rest of your life struggling with past hurt, or abuse, or other injustices. The world is preoccupied with the past because it faces an uncertain future, but as Christians we know we can press on!

On the other hand, Christians live in freedom because Christ has overcome our past. The “old things” have been done away with and “new things” have come (2 Corinthians 5:17). God has so completely forgiven the Christian’s sin that He chooses not to remember it (Isaiah 43:25). Christians do not forget the past, but we are not controlled or by it. While the people of the world focus on what they are overcoming, Christians look to the future with hope.

Christians focus on what they are becoming!

• Christians know that the Holy Spirit is conforming them into the image of Christ.
• Christians know that ultimately they will stand before Christ to give an account of their actions.
• Christians know they will spend an eternity in the presence of God.
• Christians know that eventually every injustice will be addressed and every hurt comforted.
• Christians know that Satan, and death itself, will finally be brought to an end.

As you pray today, thank God for His grace and mercy. Thank Him for the future you have with Him, a future so full and exciting that it supersedes whatever happened in the past. If you are preoccupied with your past, then ask God to open your eyes to the incredible future that awaits you. Also ask God to give you the strength and resilience to press on to what is ahead!

Source:
“Experiencing God Day-By-Day; The Devotional and Journal”, by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby ©1997. Entry November 10.

Related Reading:
Don’t Worry ‘Bout a Thing
New Strength