"Press Forward!"
- Rita Larson
- May 1, 2023
- 4 min read
While traveling this past week, I had a rental car and found myself focused on the gear shift every time I got in the car. When I wanted to go forward, I would have to move the gear shift to the left and pull backward. To go backward, I had to push the gear shift to the left and forward. It struck me so funny that I had to go backwards to go forwards and vice versa. In life, we don’t want to go backward. We want to keep moving forward, onward, and upward.
We need to learn from our past mistakes and then lay them down. If not, past mistakes are like heavy baggage that we carry on our backs. They can weigh us down and slow our progress toward pursuing the plan and purpose that God has for our life. Just as a hiker who wants to climb a mountain must be willing to let go of unnecessary weight and focus on the path ahead, we too must let go of the burden of our past mistakes and press forward without being hindered. It's like shedding unnecessary baggage and taking only the essentials we need for the journey. By doing so, we can climb higher and reach greater heights than ever before.
In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul encourages us to press on and not look back, saying "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's message is clear - we must keep our focus on the goal ahead, sharing the gospel and growing in the knowledge of Christ. We should learn from our past but never be focused on our past mistakes. In other words, we should be pressing on, not looking back in regret of the past. We need to keep our eyes on the prize ahead. The enemy wants nothing more than for us to be hindered by the distractions of our past and the stumbling blocks we come across in life. Paul encourages us to pursue our call and purpose.
In Romans 8:37-39, Paul shares, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We can be confident that despite any setbacks and failures, we can still be victorious in life. We need to keep up our forward momentum, knowing that if we mess up and make mistakes, His love for us is so great that nothing can separate us from Him!
Proverbs 4:25-27, encourages us to keep our eyes on the goal and keep moving straight ahead, “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” We are reminded that we need to consider our path. We want to make sure that we are in pursuit of God’s purpose and plan for our life. We had been given the ability to make choices in life and the Bible is our instruction guide to help ensure we make the best choices!
Hebrews 12:1-2,"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and with Him, all things are possible. We must not allow the sin and temptation of the world must not weigh us down. We must push forward and remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that we will be rewarded with the high calling of God In Christ Jesus and will spend eternity in heaven.
Lastly, the apostle Peter also spoke ofpressing on in 1 Peter 5:9: "Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." Peter reminds us that we must be steadfast in our faith and not give in to the temptations of the world. Remember, Paul's message in Philippians 3:13-14 is clear: We must press on, forget the past, and focus on staying steadfast in our faith. Do not be distracted or weighed down by the temptations of the world. Press forward to pursue God’s plan and purpose! By doing so, we will be rewarded with the ultimate prize – Being in the presence of our Father for eternity! In Christ, we all win! ©Rita Larson 5/1/2023
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