ONWARDS AND UPWARDS: Forgetting the Past...

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 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, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3: 12 - 14 NKJV

The Christian life is like a race, it's more like running a marathon really! It’s not a race to see who will get to heaven and who will not, no! In Christ, we have all passed from death to life, from darkness into light, so if you believe in Jesus and what He did for you, that He took all your sins on Himself on the cross, died and rose again from the dead after three days, and if you’ve confessed Him as your Lord and Savior, then Heaven is yours, no questions asked.

The Christian life is not a race to see who can do more for God than the next person, no! As part of the body of Christ, each one of us is a different member with differing yet equally important functions in the body (Romans 12:4-8). In His wisdom, God has gifted and graced each one of us uniquely, so don’t allow yourself to get pressured into doing something just because someone else is doing it, however godly and/or noble it may be, if you do and you aren’t gifted or graced for it, you risk piling up frustration, discouragement and even resentment on yourself.

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it – Ephesians 4:7 NIV

Just rest in the Lord  and trust Him to lead you and He will. You will find yourself doing what comes naturally and even seemingly effortlessly to you and others will be blessed by God through you. Before you know it, you’re in your “element” as it were. Just know this: God loves each one of us with His perfect Love, He doesn’t love us more or less depending on what we do, no He loves us completely, absolutely, unreservedly and eternally. He is Love, so yes you are loved, regardless of what you do or don’t do. Rest in His love for you.  

Now, how do we practically go about this? That’s where forging ahead and forgetting the past comes in. Taking the example of an athlete, to get on the podium, an athlete must be disciplined, focused and determined, they cannot entertain distractions of any sort, if they won in the past, they don’t dwell on the victories they’ve enjoyed in the past, no, they train for future victories. Should they fail to win, they go back and train harder, consistently and even more persistently hoping to do better the next time. So in like manner, let us also refuse to be held captive by our past experiences whether successful or not.

Should we camp around our successes, we run the risk of building monuments to them, and that reeks of idolatry, stagnation and pride. Let's keep on following the Good Shepherd wherever He may lead us, in His presence there is fullness of joy and a lot more! If we cling to our past failures and disappointments,  they will only serve to weigh us down with shame, guilt and condemnation. Let us be reminded that in Christ, we are free from any and all forms of condemnation (Romans 8:1) and God is not keeping a record of your past sins, as vile as they might have been.

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. – Hebrews 8:12 NIV

Source: Google Images

Don’t let the enemy weigh you down with your past, it’s under the blood, Jesus took all our sins, past, present and future, He put them away once and for all and He doesn’t remember them, so stop beating yourself up over nothing. Get up, dust yourself off, go forward and fulfill your destiny in the Lord. May these verses encourage you…

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith... - Hebrews 12: 1 - 2 NKJV

So forgetting the past with it’s victories and failures, run the race that is set before you… yes there is a specific race for you to run and you've been gifted and equipped just for it, don’t try to run someone else’s race, run yours. Focus on Jesus, He is the author and finisher of your faith, let Him empower, train, lead and guide you by His Holy Spirit who is within you, as you confidently run the race that He’s set before you today, your victory in Him is guaranteed!!