"Forget It, and Press On!"
- Rita Larson
- Nov 16, 2023
- 3 min read
Have you ever felt like you were stuck between a rock and a hard place? That’s how the Apostle Paul must have felt when he wrote Philippians 3:13-14. Paul said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul was a man of great success, but he also had great failure. He was a murderer of God’s people. Yet, he had been redeemed and forgiven by God. He had the courage to stand up to the Greek philosophers in Athens and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and many were saved. Paul had to forget this as well. If he focused on what he had done and did not trust that with God, he could do even greater things, he would have capped his own potential. Sometimes, we can lean too much on our own strengths and forget to lean on God's strength. Just like Paul, we need to focus on pressing forward with Christ and leave our own failures and successes behind us, trusting that nothing is impossible with God.
It’s hard for us to forget our successes and failures, but that’s exactly what Paul was telling us to do. If Paul, who was a great persecutor of Christians, had not forgotten his past, the devil would have used it against him, and he would have been emotionally tormented. It was only by pressing on, leaving his past behind him, that he could live in perfect peace and carry out the destiny God had designed for him. We must forget the past and press forward into the future. We must put our trust in God and not in our own abilities or accomplishments. We must press forward and focus on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 7:8, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.” As we move forward in our journey, we can trust that God will be with us every step of the way. He will light our path and guide us. The Holy Spirit will give us the courage we need to keep pressing on.
The Bible also tells us in Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” This verse tells us that if we put our trust in God, He will give us the strength and courage we need to keep pressing on.
Finally, we must remember that it’s not our own strength and power that will get us to our divine destination but the power of the Lord. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” As we press forward, we must remember that it is God who is at work in us and that it is only through Him that we can achieve our goals.
If you’re feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place, remember what Paul said – forget the past and press forward into the future. Put your trust in God, and He will give you the strength and courage to keep pressing on. Have you capped your own potential by not fully trusting God? Make the commitment today to leave the past behind and start pressing toward your divine destiny. As you do, you will find that you can truly do all things through Christ who strengthens you. ©Rita Larson 11/16/2023
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