Forget What Is Behind & Strain Toward What Is Ahead

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

 ¹² 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. ¹³ 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, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:7-14)

This passage tug at my heart strings today. I think sometimes we forget how big God is. We tend to focus on the garbage in our lives and the drama, but what is all of that worth in the end? What is that compared to faith in God? Christ sent his son to die on this earth and to go through all the sufferings that we do. He KNOWS what you are going through! Forget what is behind, it is nothing compared to the surpassing glory of God and what is ahead for you. Move on, but also remember where you came from. People might not have the grace for you and you might feel like your life is falling apart, but there is NOTHING you could do that would distance you from God's grace. His grace is abounding!! He is always there welcoming with open arms. There is NOTHING you can do to runaway from his love. It chases you everywhere you go. He never lets you go. 

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17)

So strain toward that prize of becoming like Him. 

Push yourself to look on the positives of life. 

Push yourself to love like God does.

Push yourself to focus on the never-ending ending of His story.

Remember that nothing you can do will ever separate you from Him;

nothing you can do, no one, NOTHING.

“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

^"10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

 ¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold."

2 Corinthians 3:10-12