“…But this one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward that which is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14
There are times in this life when it is appropriate to take a moment; just a moment to reflect on where the journey has taken us. Some of these times are: milestone birthdays, the end of a big project, coming through a life crisis or a faith crisis, those inevitable forks in the road and at the change of the year.
Paul in this week’s passage is encouraging the Philippian church not to get bogged down in the past, to not dwell excessively on past failures but to keep following after Christ who is making them and us new by His mercy and grace, by His love and compassion. I think though that stopping for a moment to see how far Jesus has brought us as we have walked by faith is important.
Look back and celebrate the many victories you have seen. Look back and learn from those times when it appeared as though you had failed. Look back and be thankful for those who have and are sharing the journey with you. Then, when you are done looking back, turn your face and your heart fully to the road that lies ahead and press on into the future.
There is no way that we can know what the new year will hold and I can tell you that it is probably better that we can’t. What we can know is that the year will have its high points and its low points. We can know that we will have to face obstacles along the way. We can know that we are loved by the people in our lives and by God. We can rest in the knowledge that the One who made us has an incredible plan for each of us. We can know that we can overcome because Christ is able to do more for us and with us than our minds can comprehend if we’ll let him.
Paul prays an incredible prayer for the Ephesians and it seems an appropriate prayer for us as we turn to face the New Year.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).
Take just a moment and look back and then turn and step boldly into the future.
A Prayer
Father, thank you for allowing us to look back, to see how far we have come, how far You have brought us. Thank you for walking with us into the future. Help us to trust you with all that the New Year will bring, knowing that we are never alone and that You have amazing plans for us. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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