Forget the Past

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” Philippians 3:13 NLT

In a story titled “Charges Filed Against Man Who Tried to Kidnap a Runner in North Carolina” published Tuesday it was reported that a woman in Winston-Salem, North Carolina was out for a run and noticed she was being followed last Wednesday. A man she had passed earlier who was wearing construction clothes—she assumed he was just walking to his work site—and walking the other direction turned around and began following her. When he got close enough that she could hear his footsteps, she whipped around and said, “Oh my gosh, you scared me.” After that, she said she turned around and began walking, hoping that he would just continue on, but within seconds, the man, 19-year-old Dylan Cody Smyers, attempted to grab her… While the female runner who survived the attack is grateful to have escaped without physical injuries, she told the Statesville Record & Landmark that her throat still hurts from screaming when Smyers grabbed her. Last weekend, she went for her first run since the attempted kidnapping, and told the newspaper she “jumped out of my skin” when a child yelled at her while riding past on a bicycle. She is planning to take a self defense class in a few weeks and has started carrying pepper spray, but said, “You can’t live your life scared to go on a run. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

And you know, while this story has a happy ending, it could have been tragic had the woman not made the decision to not focus on the past. You see, there are many people in this world (even believers) who have experienced things that could cause them to become bitter and/or fearful—things that cannot be changed. These things can not only keep us in bondage to the person or thing that caused those feelings but can keep us from pressing on and serving Christ as we are called to do. Which is the very reason Paul made the decision to focus “on this one thing; forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” not letting anything interfere or slow him down in his pursuit of the heavenly prize he knew awaited him and every other faithful believer. 

So if something in the past is keeping you from running the race today, it’s time to let it go my friend. You can’t change what was done but you can choose to not let it keep you from moving forward anymore. As the woman said, “You can’t live your life scared.” Lay it down at the feet of Jesus and let Him give you the strength to move on. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we can be more than conquerors through You if we would only let go of the thing or the things that are holding us back and surrender to Your will for our lives. Give us the courage to throw off everything that’s weighing us down and to run the race with all our might. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!