Philippians 3:13-14 ESV, “13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
There have been times in my life, I have thought about the past and wished I could do certain things over again. However, during those moments, I had to remind myself that God is faithful to forgive and that His plans are perfect.
I am sure we have all learned many valuable lessons from our past. With those many lessons have come both positive and negative experiences. Regardless of our past, Paul is encouraging us to keep moving forward.

We can not allow our past experiences to hinder us from doing what we need to do, now or in the future. Our past is part of our story, and our story can be used by God to help others. He knows our stories from beginning to end. We have to trust God to work all things, good and bad, together for good in our lives (Romans 8:28).
Everyday, God is calling you upward in Christ Jesus, so keep pressing toward the goal!
View on YouTube: The Upward Call in Christ Jesus
Christ forgives our past. Satan uses our past to trip us up.
Tune out the condemnation & tune into redemption.
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Yes! We have to remember what God says and ignore the lies of Satan. Thanks Barb! ❤️
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Amen
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Thank you for this encouraging post. I needed it today. May we learn to hold tightly to God as we keep moving forward! 🙌♥️🙏
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You’re welcome Bridget! Glad it helped. I am learning daily to remember what God says above all else. ❤️
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Use me in spite of my past Lord. You have washed me in the blood of the Lamb.
Easter blessings to all. ✝️
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Amen! His blood has cleansed us and made us whole! Happy Easter ❤️✝️
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We can use past mistakes as a learning experience, but we shouldn’t dwell on them. Through His grace, He forgives our mistakes. God’s mercies are new every morning. A great reminder, Dawn! 💗🌺
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I love that His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness to us. Thanks Jeanne! ❤️
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Press forward keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. The past is just that, the past. Nothing we can do about it. But we can learn from it and press on.
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That’s so true we can’t do anything to change our past. Learning from it is what is important. Thanks big brother Matt! ❤️
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Because our God richly forgives, we do not have to allow our past to define our future
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Amen. He is faithful and just to forgive us. He has a great future in store for us. Thanks Brenda! ❤️
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Nice one…❤️
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Thank you! ❤️
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Thank God we have a father who doesn’t relate with us according to our past. We cannot afford to allow our experiences to dictate our present actions. Rather, we ought to see ourselves as God sees us and let that consciousness fuel our confidence in God.
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Yes! He has great things in mind for us. Seeing ourselves as He does is key. Thanks Ayansola ❤️
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I think we all tend to do that. Reflect on the past and wish we did some things differently but your words are right and such an encouragement. God will carry us through wherever we are at and may we learn from the past but not let the enemy weigh us down with guilt. May we fix our eyes ahead and on the Lord stepping forward.
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Amen, He is the author and finisher of our faith. Learning to keep our eyes on Him is essential. Thanks Manu❤️
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Amen! I love that Jesus is calling us upward. This means that we do not have time to look behind. We have to move forward. This reminds me of Lot’s wife who refused to look upward but became stuck in the past. Great post, Dawn
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She definitely got stuck! She is a perfect reminder to not look back. Thanks Beverley ❤️
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When we press into His love, we draw closer, to His heart!
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Love is always the foundation of good things. May we keep pressing into His love. Thanks Warren ❤️
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Indeed! You’re welcome!
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God is all about redemption, no matter who we are or what we have done. Hallelujah!
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Amen Patty! Hallelujah! Thanks Patty❤️
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Apt! He never wastes our story or experiences. Because He works it all out for a greater good. 🙌🏼
And yes, it’s best to press forward! 💪🏽
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It brings comfort knowing He works it all out for a greater good. Thanks sis❤️
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❤️🤗
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Our greatest enemy is our last success. Even sometimes, the rewards for our success cannot be trusted. Our destiny in Christ is unlimited in scope. My greatest desire is to improve on my previous success before it becomes a failure.
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Great point about success. We can’t get comfortable or complacent. There is always more work to do. Thanks Chris ❤️
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Amen! Walking in step with Christ, we will press toward His righteous goal.
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Yes!! We need to stay connected to The Vine.
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Thank you for this post
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You’re welcome! Thanks for reading! ❤️
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