Refuse to dwell on your past mistakes

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,” Philippians 3:13 ESV

In an article published Monday subtitled “Ultrarunner Amy Sproston was derailed by trench foot after dealing with flooding and wet terrain,” the following was reported: Ultrarunner Amy Sproston’s record attempt at the self-supported Appalachian Trail Fastest Known Time was derailed in July after she encountered flooding and wet conditions. She developed trench foot, a condition where a person’s feet are too wet, causing heaviness and various types of pain. Despite trying different gear, Sproston eventually had to give up on the attempt because of the pain she experienced in her feet. The writer went on to say, “Although Sproston’s attempt was unsuccessful, she is considering a second go around next spring. But, needless to say, she’ll be doing some things differently during round two “Foot care is really important on these long trails, so to have a plan for how to fix problems as they come up, especially with wet feet. That might involve slowing down and taking some down time to let your feet dry,” Sproston said. “With trench foot once it gets beyond a certain point, it’s hard to go back... I’d gone too far to fix it by the time I stopped." 

And you know, although Amy's attempt to make it to the finish line might look like it was a total failure, it wasn't if she uses what she learned from it and goes for "round two." In the Christian race, this means "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead." In other words, it's refusing to dwell on our past mistakes and the sins that brought us shame and moving ahead to what God planned for us the day we became a new creation and were forgiven from our transgressions--keeping in mind that looking back only serves to take our eyes off the goal and keep us from running the race with endurance. 

So if the guilt over your past sin is still haunting you today, it's time to let it go my friend. For real. It's time to remind yourself that your old life has gone and your new life began the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. It's time to focus on growing in your relationship with the Lord so that you can live a full and meaningful life that comes only by knowing Him deeply and serving Him with no restraints. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we are not to dwell on the past but to use it as a springboard to become better and run the race with endurance. Lord, if there's someone struggling to let go of the guilt of their past mistakes, I pray today is the day they finally say, "Father, I'm done with carrying this burden around. I choose to believe that I am forgiven today and I lay this down at your feet, never to pick it up again." It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!