Forward looking is a skill that I’ve been either blessed or cursed with – I haven’t decided yet. I often can see the impacts of actions two or three steps out. I’m not clairvoyant, I’m more practical and approach most things with common sense and a strong dose of reality. The challenge in our lives today is that when we look forward, we often do it with our own point of view as a lens. When we look to our future through that lens, we see all of things that we want, desire or can make happen through our own work. We often fail to recognize what God is planning for us. When we start to rely on our own thoughts and actions to get ahead, we are leaving out the one who is really in control – God.

We must leave our past behind! And, when we strain toward the future, we should be straining toward the teachings of God. We need to start recognizing when He is opening doors for us. Humans are prideful creatures and we often pat ourselves on the back for work that God did in our lives. I’ve written several times about being significant to others, instead of being successful and how we must let God guide our paths. Just when we start thinking that we are in control, God will often remind us that we aren’t as powerful as we think we are.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14-15

St. Paul was telling the Philippians to leave the past behind them, to forget their old ways, old habits, old beliefs and old understandings. His advice to us today is the same, look toward the future and to what you can do today to live a better life. No matter what you’ve done, leave it in the past. At the time Paul wrote these letters, the people of the world were leading pretty brutal lives. They raped, pillaged and murdered each other. It was an “every man for himself” world. They watched human slaughter for entertainment in places like the Coliseum in Rome.

He was telling them to leave all of it in the past and focus on the future prize promised by God – eternal life through Jesus Christ. I have no idea how many people read this each week but I will bet that no one has lived a life today like those who lived in the First Century. No matter what you you’ve done, look toward the future you have through Christ. God wanted you saved, that’s why He sent Jesus to die for our sins – then and now. You are forgiven! As it is written in Acts 10:43 “…Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” There are no other versions or ways to say it; you are forgiven. Now start living and looking toward to the future with Jesus Christ.