by Dona Hake
Philippians 3:13 (ERV)
But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and
try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me.”
The Apostle Paul was one determined man. I love his honesty here as he admitted in his writing that he still had a long way to go. Paul understood the power of focusing on what really mattered, and he understood the grace that came from above. He understood that his past needed to be forgotten and his future needed to be reached for with great perseverance. There are four words in particular that I am meditating on as I read over this portion of scripture in Philippians.
Forget
Focus
Persevere
Reach
Many times in our journey in life we may come to a “dead end” on a path that we were traveling You may had thought that the path you were on seemed so promising, but just like that…it did not turn out the way you planned. Do not let that discourage you but rather seek the Lord and what He would have you to do. I believe there are many times that “dead ends” on the paths that we walk are God’s favor on us, and He is sparing us from a bad decision or mistake. Sometimes you just never know. One thing we do know though, and that is that we need to keep moving forward. Remember to forget the past, focus on His plan for you, persevere in the journey, and reach forward!
“One of the greatest and most comforting truths
is that when one door opens, another closes,
but often we look so long and
regretfully upon the closed door that
we do not see the one that is open for us.”
(Anonymous)