Tunnel Vision
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” -- Philippians 3:13-14
“That’s never been done here before.”
“We’ve never been to the state playoffs.”
“We’ve never beaten them before.”
How many times have we as athletes looked at past seasons as the standard for potential success in the current season?
At times we get caught up in those thoughts. We often think that what we did last year has a bearing on what we can do this year. While that is true to an extent, you also have to learn how to block past seasons out of your mind in order to reach your full potential.
Paul, the ultimate bad guy, knew this all too well. He not only persecuted Christians, but he also sought permission to kill them. How could someone with such a past be of any use in building up the kingdom of God? By “forgetting what is behind.” Paul accepted God’s grace and forgiveness and pressed on to the goal of what the Lord had for him. He refused to allow past mistakes to keep him from doing the will of the Father.
If Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, could accept God’s forgiveness and put his past behind him, don’t you think you can?
- What from your past is keeping you from doing God’s will for your life?
- In what ways can you change your focus from past failures – or successes – in competition to what you can do this season?
“Father, forgive me for my past mistakes and free me from the guilt that comes with them. Help me to focus on what is ahead instead of what is behind. Amen.”
