Forgetting What is Behind

"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 3:13-14)

Paul had reason to forget what was behind. He had persecuted followers of Christ’s way. He had held the coats of those who stoned Stephen. He had even persecuted Christ, as the voice on the road to Damascus called out, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” It took blindness after that vision for Paul to begin to see the truth of Jesus Christ. 

In our lives today, we have all done things that cause us shame. We may have used words that hurt another person; we may have lied to protect our own actions; we may have left the truth unsaid; we may have even committed crimes. Our memories of these events stand in the way of the person we want to be, but we often feel paralyzed to overcome them. 

Paul’s confession to the church in Philippi is relevant today. As he says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,” Saul becomes Paul and changes the world for Christ. He accepts that he is forgiven and moves on to live a life of faith and obedience to God. 

Following his conversion, Paul never looked back. He spent the rest of his life as an Apostle, traveling thousands of miles, spending years in jails, and writing letters filled with inspiration for the young churches he helped found. His goal was to spend eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer

Dear Lord, beginning today, help us to press on toward that same goal of living in the presence of Jesus.

This devotion was written by Laura Derr and read by Donnell King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.