Quit Looking Back

Philippians 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Quickword: Quit Looking Back…

Paul the author of the letter to the Church at Philippi offers us words from this text that are relevant today. There seems to be this desire of many to return to days passed. The days longed for were a time when many because of race, gender, orientation, etc, didn’t have a say in the world. Here in this text, I believe Paul is calling us to quit looking back and to forget those things which are behind us but instead reach forward to those things which are ahead. To quit looking back Paul makes these assessments.

Acknowledged that we don’t fully apprehend (understand) everything.

Understand that there are lessons learned from the past but progress comes when we move forward..

Press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

My brothers and sisters as we are in the last days of 2023, let us prepare to take on the challenges that await us going forward. I understand Paul to be saying to us, quit looking back. Quit looking back on past failures. Quit looking back on past relationships. Quit looking back to include past successes; there are people who become stagnant because we like looking back to a period in our lives that were good for us. Here me clearly, it’s ok to every now and then to glance back and remember our past, yet we can’t live in the past. I know, high school was good for you; I know college was good for you; I know you remember when life was perhaps simpler and maybe even easier. Take a glance back but we must move forward. We are called to pressed towards the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus there is life! In Christ Jesus there is peace; In Christ Jesus there joy; In Christ Jesus there is a promise of a future and hope. Don’t miss what God has for you now and going forward because we are fixated on looking back. If we keep pressing forward, 1st John 3:2 tells us about our future;

“ Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” I’ve made up my mind that I’m not going to become stagnant looking back but to forget those things which are behind and keep pressing toward the call of God in Christ Jesus.