Philippians 3:12-14
I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. [13] I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. [14] I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and experiencing and manifesting the fullness of Jesus.
Those who are always looking behind will never see beyond. It is often not the barriers that lay in front of us that hinder us from pressing on with passion to fully apprehend that for which we have been apprehended. It is usually the past that restricts us from going forward. The failures of the past, either our failures, or the failures of others that impacted us many times keeps us from reaching and grasping all that Jesus is. If we are always looking backward how can we “walk in the spirit?” The very nature of walking is to keep taking steps forward with our eyes looking toward where we are heading. Trying to walk, with your head turned toward your back will always result in spiritual meandering. Maybe one of the greatest acts of faith is to actually believe that what is behind has been covered by the blood (the victory) of Christ. It is no longer part of your story. You are in Christ, and it is now part of His story, and His story is always a redemptive one. You have got to look beyond what has happened if you are going to move in the direction of fulfilling your destiny of Christ likeness. He apprehended you for this purpose, and if you are going to apprehend that for which you have been apprehended, then you have to let go of what’s behind. You can’t cling to the past and reach for the future at the same time.