Press ON

Looking back, there would be moments you would be proud of, and there would be moments you might not even wish to think about anytime soon because of your failures. Such is life. There are ups and downs. There are successes and failures. There are joyous moments as well as mourning moments. Wherever you’re at the moment, you need to press on. The Christian journey is not a journey of looking back. It is a journey of looking forward and pressing on. With each passing moment, each passing hour and day, we must press on to the goal. Being controlled by yesterday’s successes would blind you to the victories that lie ahead to be won. It will prevent you from running the race. Peter wrote, “For if you do these things, you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10). Thus, the only surety you have not to stumble in your way is when you press on and confirm your calling by running the race before you.  

            Therefore, for one to press on, he must forget the past. He must forget the past successes as well as the past failures. As aforementioned, yesterday’s successes could blind you to today’s challenge that lies ahead. Similarly, if you live in the past, especially, in your past failures, you would be in prison. You will be a slave to your failures and shortcomings. You cannot press on to the goal. You cannot achieve the target. You will make vain of God’s calling and election. Paul, knowing these things, mentioned, “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” (Phil. 3:12). This is a man who had a supernatural encounter with Christ on the road to the Damascus. He is the same man, who for three years, was taught by God as he mentioned in Galatians 1. Later, he wrote about himself to the Corinthians that he was taken to the third heavens and saw things he could not and was not permitted to talk about. This same man is here saying that he has not attained and wants to press on.

            For him to attain his goal, he needed to forget the past whether past successes or failures. It goes to show that it doesn’t matter how much you gave your best to God in the past, you need to forget about it and do more by pressing on. It doesn’t matter whether in the past you failed, betrayed, or even neglected God outright, now and today, you need to repent and forget the past. Press on to do more for God. Press on to know Him more and better. Press on that Christ would be formed in you. In all things, press on. Press on!!!