LOOKING AHEAD
We are a few weeks into 2026. Are you excited about what the new year will bring, or are you more focused on what happened in the past? Some are so focused on what has happened in the past that they have difficulty in looking forward to what the future may hold. The Apostle Paul wrote about this very issue in the book of Philippians. Paul said in 3:10 that his goal was to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. In verse 13 he stated that he had not completely reached that goal, then he said, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.” What was Paul’s meaning here? Some believe Paul was referring to his past successes in starting new churches and advancing the Gospel. He refused to rest on past successes but would press on. Paul could have said, “I’ve done a lot already. I’ve been pretty successful. I’m just going to focus on what I have already accomplished and not worry about the future.” But that was not part of the Apostle Paul’s character. There are those who live their lives like that though. They define themselves over past successes or accomplishments, with very little thought about moving forward in the present or looking toward the future. Paul was constantly looking forward to what was ahead. He looked forward to that time that he would claim the prize of eternal life and be in heaven with Jesus. That was Paul’s goal. But until he reached that goal, he knew God still had work for him to do. I would encourage you that no matter what you may have achieved or accomplished in the past, to live in the present and look towards the future. Yes, celebrate those past accomplishments or achievements, but realize that God has more for you to do. Ask yourself the question, “How can I best serve God now and in the future?”
Others believe that when Paul used the phrase “forgetting what is behind,” he was referring to his pre-Christian past. Before Paul became a believer, he ravaged the church. He dragged men and women off to prison. But on the Damascus Road, he had an encounter with the risen Christ. He went from persecuting the church to preaching about Jesus. He was definitely a changed man and understood what it meant to be born again. That’s why he wrote 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”
We’ve all done things for which we are ashamed. We live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our hope is in Christ, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Our past sins, mistakes and failures do not define who we are in Christ.
Looking ahead, let us not rest on past accomplishments or focus on past mistakes, but commit the year to fulfilling the purposes God has for us.
Blessings,
Pastor Randy
Leave a Reply