Pressing Onward

There is a holy way to move forward.

It is not pretending the past did not happen. It is not becoming careless with lessons learned. It is not denying grief, failure, mercy, or growth. Paul says in PHILIPPIANS 3:13 (ESV) that he forgets what lies behind and strains forward to what lies ahead. He is not speaking about shallow avoidance. He is describing a life no longer ruled by what is behind because Christ has laid hold of him.

The past can become a prison in more than one way.

Regret can hold a person. So can pride. Shame can keep the soul staring backward, but so can old success. Some people cannot move forward because they are crushed by what they did. Others cannot move forward because they keep living on what they once did. Both can distract from present obedience.

Paul had reasons to boast in religious achievement, and he had reasons to grieve his former persecution of the church. Yet he does not build his identity on either. His life has been overtaken by Christ.

That is why pressing onward is not self-improvement with Christian words attached. It is pursuit of Christ.

In PHILIPPIANS 3:14 (ESV), Paul says, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." The direction is not vague. The goal is not worldly success, personal image, or proving people wrong. The call is in Christ Jesus.

There are times when moving forward will mean repentance. There are times it will mean receiving forgiveness instead of punishing yourself for sins Christ has cleansed. There are times it will mean leaving comfort. There are times it will mean obeying after disappointment. There are times it will mean refusing to let yesterday's obedience replace today's surrender.

LUKE 9:62 (ESV) records Jesus warning that no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. That does not erase God's past faithfulness. It warns us not to be ruled by backward-looking attachment in a way that blinds us to present obedience.

The believer presses on because Christ is worthy.

Not because the road is easy. Not because the heart always feels strong. Not because the future is fully understood. We press on because we belong to the One who has called us upward.

If your heart has been stuck, bring that honestly to the Lord. Ask Him to show whether you are being held by shame, fear, nostalgia, bitterness, or comfort. Then take the next faithful step.

Grace does not leave God's people frozen.

Christ calls us onward.