Forget the Past

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 NASB

In an inspiring story published by the Bonner County Daily Bee on Wednesday, it was reported that on Monday, April 15, Sandpoint resident Carol Wright crossed the finish line at the 2024 Boston Marathon in 5 hours and 54 minutes, winning the 80-plus women’s age division handily. At 82, she also happened to be this year’s oldest finisher, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Believe it or not, Wright’s running journey began not so long ago in 2012. Then 69 years old, Wright was on the phone with her daughter, Amy, who just got done running a 5K in Bellingham, Wash., as part of a weight-loss journey. Wright’s daughter said the following year she was going to run a half-marathon. “If I can do it, you can do it,” Wright remembers her daughter saying…Wright has now completed 18 marathons in her lifetime and has finished the Boston Marathon seven times, her first finish coming in 2016… Even at 82, Wright’s journey has arguably just begun, and she still has one lofty goal in mind — be the oldest person to ever finish the Boston Marathon. The record, which is 84 years old, was set by a female from Santa Monica, Calif., in 2018. Wright believes she is in good enough shape to eventually pull it off...

And you know, when it comes to lofty goals, our greatest aspiration at any age should be to be champions for Christ. Which means we must practice spiritual forgetfulness by no longer allowing ourselves to be influenced, held back, or affected by our former lives. You see, too often we allow ourselves to be weighed down by our previous sinfulness or shackled by our memories of past failures or mistakes. Paul clearly understood that he had no power to change the past (in the same way we don’t) and so chose to focus on the present instead, which meant “reaching forward to what lies ahead,” rather than reaching back for what “lies behind.” He was unwilling to let anything cause him to be sidelined or sidetracked in his pursuit of crossing the finish line and spending eternity with Christ.  

So let us all follow the example of Paul my friend. Let us practice forgetfulness as we “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” It’s the greatest ambition we could ever have. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that our past doesn’t have to define us nor does it have the power to determine our future when we give our lives to You. Help us to run the race with all endurance Lord knowing that the pursuit of perfection will be worth it in the end when we see You face to face. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!