Live Like There's No YesterdaySample

Day Three

The Goal Ahead

Scripture: Philippians 3:13–14; 1 Corinthians 9:24

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:13–14). Paul wrote this to the early Christians so that they could move their focus from the past to their future as followers of Jesus. He compares himself to a runner to illustrate his mindset and the motivation of his spiritual life. A runner must also focus on the next steps toward the goal. Paul implies that his spiritual life is similar—he will not look back on his past steps or mistakes but will instead keep his mind on improving each next step in the race until the goal is achieved. 

When we say we leave the past behind, it means that we determine how much of our past will affect us now. We determine what aspects of our past we will let shape our attitudes and actions. The past has no power to do anything—unless we give it the power. 

Instead of denial, we can bring our mistakes and hurts into the light where we can openly explore the dynamics of our lives then respond appropriately to the situations. If we need to forgive ourselves, or someone else, then we do it. If we need to learn from an experience in order to respond differently when faced with a similar issue, then we explore the lessons that can be taken from it. We can’t pretend something didn’t happen or tell ourselves everything is fine when it’s not. 

We should avoid assuming we know why things happened the way they did, or why people treated us a certain way, or why we did what we did. These assumptions are usually wrong, because we are looking at the circumstances through distorted thinking. 

It’s all right to recognize we may never know for certain why things happened the way they did. After examining the experience, we can still choose to move on in a healthy way. As we come to understand how our previous experiences might shape who we are today, we then can choose to act and react intentionally rather than automatically. 

Consider your answer to the question on the first day of this devotional about an event in your past you often dwell on. What would be the difference between responding intentionally to it rather than automatically to it?