Late week we began to consider one of the most difficult parts of human nature; we have to deal with grief, especially the grief of losing loved ones. We considered the painful truth and we must allow ourselves the time to grieve. There’s nothing “un-Christian” about grief; nearly everyone has it after losing a friend or loved one. We must accept our grief and go through it, if we’re going to ever get to the other side of it. Today, let’s move forward with another passage that can help us as we face our losses:

The one thing I do…is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above. (Phil.3:13-14)

In this passage, Paul reminds the congregation at Philippi (and us!) that we all have a past. It may have been wonderful or terrible but you and I must not live our lives there—in the past. Instead, we must decide to look forward. Paul says, “(I) forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.” Maybe your past was great. Maybe you had a wonderful family filled with wonderful relationships. Or maybe you had a terrible past filled with destructive and unresolved anger or sorrow. If so, you must not allow your past to destroy your future. The goal is ahead, not behind. Paul continues, saying, “So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.” Are you doing that? Are you keeping your eye on the goal ahead? My dad was a great baseball player and I remember him teaching me how to hit a baseball. The one thing he emphasized most was this: keep your eye on the ball. I can still hear him today: “Dave, working on your swing is important. How you stand in the batter’s box is important, too. But if you take your eyes off the ball you will never be a consistent hitter.” He aimed for consistency, not home runs, and my dad aimed for consistency in life, as well. Today, that lesson can serve us well. If you have lost a loved one, allow the past to be the past. Grieve for a while, but don’t spend the rest of your life in the past. Instead, look to the future. God has good things in store for you up ahead. New friendships, new experiences, birthday parties, weddings, and new births. You don’t have to live in the past. You have hope and you can still reach for the goal which is God's call through Christ Jesus, and the future that God has prepared just for you...and that is very Good News!