Pressing On Toward the Goal

Accepting God's Will For Today

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

For the past few years, I've been trying to drag the past into the present. I found out it doesn’t work.

Years ago, my sister and I had a falling out, and we haven’t spoken to each other since. I attempted to remedy this situation, but to no avail. I spent much time praying, trying to accept God’s will. I even told myself that there’s a reason the situation still exists. Perhaps God is protecting me from something or someone. But still, at times, there seems to be no real peace, as I often reminisce about things we used to do. Maybe it’s about acceptance. Or maybe I’m just lonely. Perhaps I’m confused that the person who brought me to Christ shows no sign of forgiving. Maybe it’s because we’re twins, and it’s true that there’s a special bond between twins.

As I look at the verses above, I know the answer is looking ahead, not back. But I was praying not so much to accept the situation, but to change it. I was trying to re-live the past, at least in my mind, because of the memories we shared. And I thought that would be enough...the make-believe world of bringing the past into the present or future.

Sometimes it’s hard to look ahead or even at the present, because, in looking at the past, we have the gift of hindsight. We know how it all ends; it feels safe there. But the future is just that—the future. We can’t see it. And our only hope is in trusting God. If our faith in God is not solid, looking ahead can be a very frightening experience.

Accepting God’s will for today is just that...for today. It doesn’t mean giving up. The Lord’s prayer tells me to ask for His daily bread. And one day at a time, I can do that. I don’t know what the future will bring. But I know that I can’t stay stuck in the past. If I do that, I will miss the blessings that come from living in the present. I will miss the opportunity to praise God for how He works in my life today and to share my walk with the Lord with new believers.

Father, in the powerful name of Jesus, I thank you for opening my eyes and my heart.