Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Take Off the ‘Rear View Only’ Glasses

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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.”
Philippians 3:12-14
 

You are in the starting block.
Feet positioned properly.
Ready. Set. Go!
The starting pistol is fired and you are off.
Now imagine a large pair of glasses fastened tightly to your face.
You run looking toward the goal.
Suddenly you find yourself remembering and thinking about the last race – that time you fell – and went on to complete the race dead last.
Then it is as if your glasses were covered with that memory and you could see less clearly now.
As you continue on your thoughts go back to that laughing coach from the opposing team who said you would never be a runner – at least not a successful one.
Another old memory from the past clouds the lens a bit more.
Get the point?
The successful race can only be run when we let go of past failures, laying them down at the foot of the cross.
If we are so focused on our past we cloud the future with it and are unable to see the finish line set before us.
Sometimes it is even past successes that hinder our race.
We can think that because success happened when we used this or that particular method or training regimen then I must always and only follow that course.
But our focus must always be on the Lord Jesus Christ.
When it is – the course of our race becomes clear before us.
Don’t let your past hinder your future.
Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead…
Take off those ‘rear view only’ glasses.

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