S – Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, ¹⁴ I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Phipippians 3:13–14 CSB

O – Commentary:

What is behind” (niv) belongs to Paul’s image of the race; to win, one must keep one’s eyes on the finish line; Greek runners often ran in a straight line and back.

3:14. At the end of each race, officials had their heralds proclaim the winner and call him up to receive his prize (in the Olympic games, a palm branch). (“Above” or “upward” also alludes to Christ in heaven, 3:20; cf. Col 3:1–2.) In Paul’s metaphor, the prize is the full revelation of Christ at the resurrection (3:10–11).

 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 564.

A – In our relationship with Christ, we are going to have to leave the past behind.  Victories, wins, challenges and defeats.  We cannot live in the past – we must live in the present with the future in our vision. We can learn, understand and grow from the past but then we need to move on to what is before us today.  

R – Heavenly Father, you are the God of the past, present and future.  We surrender the things of the past to you.  We will not live today allowing the memories of the past to dictate our words, thoughts and actions.  Empower us to face today with your Holy Spirit.