Running the Race | Philippians 3:13–14

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13–14 NLT)

 

If you want to run the race of life successfully, then don’t look back. If you’ve ever run a race and looked over your shoulder to see what your competitor was doing, then you know that looking back can break your stride and ultimately cause you to lose.

Paul applies this principle to the Christian life in Philippians 3:13–14: “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race” (NLT). His point is that if you’re going to be an effective disciple of Jesus, you must forget the things that are behind you. In this context, the word forget doesn’t mean a failure to remember as much as it means no longer being influenced or affected by the past.

In other words, leave the past in the past. Forget the things that already have happened. You may not be able to erase them from your memory, but you don’t need to let them influence you. Sometimes we dredge up things that God has forgiven and forgotten. The Lord says, “I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Jeremiah 31:34 NLT). Yet many times we bring up our past sins, driven by a sense of guilt or shame. Those backward glances reveal an immaturity in our faith, a misunderstanding of God’s nature.

When we lose our forward focus in that way, it’s like we doubt God’s willingness to forgive certain sins. We forget that He has a big eraser. Why should we choose to remember what He has chosen to forget? If God has forgiven my sins and forgotten them, then I need to leave them behind, learn from my mistakes, not do the same thing again, and move forward.

And it’s not just our past sins that we need to leave behind. We also need to forget our past victories. Certainly, we should thank God for them and learn from them. But we also must remember that we’re running a marathon. Replaying over and over again the jump we got at the starting line takes our focus off the course ahead. It makes us lose stride.

The temptation to celebrate early or to rest on our laurels is strong. That’s the work of our enemy. His aim is to slow us down—or, better yet, to stop us in our tracks. The best way to counter his moves is to press on toward the goal. To keep our eyes focused on what God is doing and where He’s leading us.

God will greet you at the finish line with the sweetest words you’ll ever hear: “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (see Matthew 25:23 NLT). Until that time, don’t slow your pace or break your stride. The race isn’t over.

 

Reflection Question: What does pressing on to reach the end of the race look like in your life?

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