Forgetting What's Behind

The New Year is well under way! The local gyms memberships are at their highest and many people are very sincere with their New Year’s resolutions. The hard truth is that many have already given up and some are just days away. It’s actually only a few who finish their goals.

Why is that?

There are tons of reasons, but many are because they placed unrealistic expectations or unreachable goals. At least in the way they go about it.

“I want to get in shape,” they say. So they hit the gym with all the vigor and gusto they can, but they do too much and they are too sore to go back.

Sometimes the goals are too far away and it is too difficult to focus on the end. So, someone gives up by focusing on the short term enjoyments.

Sometimes it simply that they are holding on to past successes as enough…Okay this one hits home. Let’s talk physical goals. In 2013-14 I hit some major goals in my life. I lost a lot of weight and was almost back down to my high school weight. I ran my 1^st and 2^nd half marathons. I had it going on.

Problem, in 2015-16 I focused on the past good things I did. All the hard work I did for the previous two years was wasted on laziness.

So this year I set my goals again. I laid out a plan to get there. I paid for the Akron Half Marathon. I set a 38 week schedule to get back into the gym and slowly build my running legs again. I set short and long term goals. I plan on running a 5K in April, a 10K in June and a half in September. I will probably do some other things too.

On top of that, I got some accountability. I invited several friends to join my efforts…and they said YES!! This is how I was successful in the past, and this is how I will be successful this year.

Forgetting What’s Behind

This is what the Apostle Paul was talking about in Philippians 3:12-16. The focus he needed to have to continue to grow spiritually was to forget what was behind him and continue to press on toward his goal.

Okay, Paul had a lot of good stuff in his past. He already recounted his testimony in the previous verses. He did a lot of missions trips. He led a lot of people to the Lord. He wrote 2/3rds of the New Testament.

And you know what? He said he needed to forget those things.

Often times we talk about forgetting things, as in the bad things we have done. “Your past does not have to define your future,” is one of my favorite quotes. And there is truth to that. But in Christ, we can forget our past because He paid for them.

What Paul is talking about here is spiritual growth. Don’t focus on the good things you’ve done for God and think you have arrived. There is no arriving. We are to press on, to fix our eyes on the next goal.

Pressing Toward the Upward Call

Paul’s goal was the mission of Jesus Christ and His return (see verses 14 and 20-21).

If I put this in my own terms, Paul wanted to prepare himself for the return of Christ in the same way a man gets all serious about his diet and exercise before the Wedding day.

Paul was so excited to see Jesus that he was of single focus and threw off every distraction.

What is your spiritual focus? What motivates you to keep pressing on? What are your short term and long term goals?

The Deal 4 Your Life: A Parable

You have just been selected to appear on “The Deal 4 Your Life” game show!

It’s the latest show to appear and everyone is raving about it. You quickly contact everyone you know and invite them to the show. Everybody wants to be there or watch in on live TV. It’s an amazing opportunity and you really think you have a chance to win.

The night of the big event arrives. Your emotions are all over the place. You can’t believe you were chosen and you are getting the royal treatment. You don’t want to let anyone down.

As you walk out on stage you see two doors. The first is a glorious door, big and broad and made from the best of materials. They spared no expense on this door! The spotlight shines brightly onto this door where you can read, in big and bold letters, it reads “YOU CAN DO IT!”

On the opposite side of the stage there is another smaller door. It is simple design. It looks to be hand made from a small-town carpenter. Carved in it is two words, “Follow Me.”

“Welcome, welcome to the all-new “Deal 4 Your Life” game show! I am so glad you are here,” the host says. “On this show you have the opportunity to change your life and win an unfathomable amount of riches! Your life will never be the same. Before you are two doors. On the other side of the doors is an obstacle course that you must traverse to win. Your prize will be waiting for you at the finish line.”

You can’t believe it! This is the kind of opportunity you’ve been waiting for you. You live for this type of challenge and can’t wait to get started.

“Let me tell you about our two doors!” he said. “On the left you can see the “YOU CAN DO IT!” door. This is a very popular door. Obviously, we spare no expense on this door, because you are worth it!”

You could hear the cheers from the crowd when he said this. It was exhilarating and affirming. You already knew that you were going to pick this door, how could you not!

“This next door is seldom chosen. It was a donation by the Carpenter and really, we feel obligated to offer it to you,” said the announcer.

“BOOOO! BOOOO! Choose the other one!” you heard the crowd chant.

Everyone else seemed so certain, but for some reason you were curious about the little wooden door. But it didn’t seem likely to choose it with such persuasion from the crowd.

The announcer then said, “and now the rules for each door!”

“The door on the left…”

Cheers and shouts from the crowd.

“This is the door you have been training for. Everything you know will be tested. You get to do it your way. All the education you have, all the skills you’ve developed and all your talents are there for this door. But you have to do it alone. Don’t forget, YOU CAN DO IT!”

“YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT!” shouted the crowd.

You look at some of your friends, teachers and family. They are giving you the thumbs up, the knowing glance and the affirming smiles. You know they want you to choose this door.

“The door on the right…”

“BOOOO! Choose the other one” the crowd hissed.

“The door on the right has one simple rule: follow. This door you have to forget everything you know. This door you throw off your choice and trust. You consider all the good things you’ve done, all the things you have learned and all the skills you gained as rubbish and you trust the Carpenter.”

The boos from crowd commenced again and were deafening. “Who does this Carpenter thing he is to demand so much from me? I have this one chance to win and He wants to take that from me?” you think silently to yourself.

The announce takes center stage and beckons you out to the middle. “Now for what is at stake!” Ooohs and ahhs from the crowd are heard.

“If you win, that is, if you make it through this very difficult obstacle course, you will win a spot in Heaven for all eternity!”

Cheers from the crowd filled the auditorium.

“And if I can’t make it?” you ask tentatively.

“Well, we don’t like to think about that!” The announcer continues, “we like to ignore the possibility because ‘YOU CAN DO IT’!” Crowd cheers louder.

“But seriously, I want to know,” you say.

“Okay, okay, I guess we can tell you. In the event you can’t finish it 100% then you fail and receive…” (he pauses)

“Nothing?” You ask.

“Nope, that would be great! No, you get Hell.”

“Hell?!” you question.

“Yes, this is the game. Like it or not you have to make a ‘Deal 4 Your Life’!”

You cringe as you he uses your peril for a branding opportunity.

“The thing about this game, is sooner or later everyone will have to choose. It’s your choice now? Which one will you choose? Will you trust yourself, your knowledge, your skill and take the ‘YOU CAN DO IT’ door?” Crowd Cheers.

“Or will you deny your own abilities and follow the Carpenter?” Boos and sneers from the crowd.

“Oh I almost forgot, there is a note from the Carpenter…”

He hands you a weathered piece of paper, crumpled and neglected. It looks to be hand written and ancient. You can’t figure out how the game show could make it look so old…so authentic… and yet… it is still addressed… to you!

“Dear ____________,

You are about to make a decision for your life. Not just your life here and now, but your life for all eternity. The choice before you seems obvious and the crowd will want you to follow their wishes. But they don’t know what’s on the other side of the doors. The course is treacherous and difficult. The demand is 100% perfection. The cost is immense.

They don’t know that everyone who has ever tried to do it on their own has failed.

But I have conquered this course! I have made it through and I came back to offer you the way. The cost to you is surrender and trust. Don’t depend on yourself, trust me. I have done the work; you just need to follow me and trust that I will bring you home safely.

You are loved beyond what you can imagine! That’s why I left heaven to show you the way.

Love,

Carpenter”

Something deep within came alive as you read these simple words. It was compelling you toward the door. Although the crowd made you feel sure about yourself and your ability, the tone of this letter spoke to a deeper need, the soul.

“Okay I’m ready to choose!”

Silence fell over the crowd as they anxiously awaited your choice.

As you took a step toward the “YOU CAN DO IT!” door the crowd went crazy. But that’s when you remembered the words from the Carpenter “they don’t know…I have made it through!” “How can this be? The One who made it through has come back? Why? He loves me? No, I don’t deserve that. But He went to great lengths to show me, He left this letter, He built the door, He returned for me. If I choose Him, He will be with me and I will be with Him. I choose the Carpenter!”

You knew that if you changed directions the crowd would try to compel you back. You made up your mind. With joy in your step, you turned and dashed toward the door that said “Follow Me.”

As you opened it, you were greeted by the Carpenter Himself who embraced you with a big hug and He said, “follow me!”

(This parable is based on my reflections on Philippians 3:1-11)