Joel M Bradshaw

…But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.–Philippians 3

Paul was in prison and once again pondering the scope of his life. He gave a rubric that we can use to ponder the great timeline of our lives.

1. PAST. Paul’s past was particularly nasty from a Christian sense. He literally persecuted the church to the point that the risen Lord Jesus appeared to Paul and accused Paul of persecuting Him (Acts 9:4)! Paul never forgot his past, but that past was put in its place. His past didn’t define his present or his future.
2. FUTURE. Paul knew that he could be executed by Caesar soon. As a citizen he would be allowed his Roman day in court, but his death was most likely soon and outside of his control. So Paul focused on the resurrection hope that all Christians have. Because Jesus didn’t remain dead in the grave, then ultimately neither will any who trust in Jesus for salvation. It’s the absolute best hope and what sets the Christian faith apart from the rest.
3. PRESENT. Paul was straining forward. He was like those runners who reach the finish line and lean into the tape. Paul’s present focus was putting his past behind him and pressing forward to his future. This takes intentionality at the self-talk level. You could imagine Paul fighting depression regarding his past story. You could also picture Paul worried about his future in prison and having anxiety. But neither ended up true.

Trust God with your past. I have to trust him with mine. Own what you can own, seek to make amends, and then move forward with humility. A runner focusing on the finish line doesn’t dwell on the first lap. When I ran my 5Ks I looked most forward to the chair at the finish line that awaited me! Press on and strain forward!–JMB