Philippians 3:13 “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.”
Paul was not pretending his past didn’t exist—he was refusing to let it define his future. He had regrets, failures, and even a past marked by persecution of the church. Yet he made a deliberate decision: he would not live looking backward. God calls us to remember lessons, but not to relive guilt.
I’ve met many believers who are forgiven by God but imprisoned by memory. Past sin, past pain, or past failure keeps them stuck. They replay what they should have done, what they wish they could change, and what they think disqualifies them. But mercy doesn’t just forgive—it releases. God does not call us to drag yesterday into today.
As a new year begins, I don’t want last year’s failures to steal this year’s faith. We are either moving forward or slowly drifting backward—there is no neutral ground in the Christian life. God says, “Reach forth.” That requires effort, faith, and trust. Let go of what God has already forgiven. His mercy is strong enough to carry you forward.
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:18–19, Romans 8:1, Psalm 37:23–24, Proverbs 4:18