Straight Ahead!

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 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, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. (Philippians 3:12-16 NLT)

For Christmas, we bought a pair of remote control cars for our girls. They've had a great time buzzing their dolls all over the house in their miniature convertibles.

I was watching them play when I noticed, the cars whiz around in forward but in reverse they get slow down substantially and spin their wheels.

I thought, that is exactly why God tells us to forget the past and press on to what lies ahead! He doesn't want us getting tripped and spin our wheels.

In Proverbs 4:25-27, He tells us:

• Look straight ahead!
• Fix our eyes on what lies before us!
• Mark out a straight path for our feet!
• Stay on the safe path!
• Don’t get sidetracked!
• Keep your feet from following evil!

• Look! Look where? Straight ahead! (Not deviating from what is usual or expected.)
• Fix! Fix what? And where? We must fasten our physical and spiritual eyes securely on what lies before us!
• Mark out! We must set boundaries to and delimit everything that keeps our feet from a straight path!
• Stay! Stay where? In His Word!
• Purposefully refuse to be sidetracked. Let's pause for a moment. At times, it can be seemingly minor circumstances that side tracks us. (Solomon 2:15) A cranky kiddo, a rude comment on Facebook, computer problems. Trust me, this month, I know all about computer problems. It is critical for us to immediately recognize when we are tempted to get sidetracked and fix our eyes on the things that are eternal, thank Him for progress, and keep our feet from evil!

Wow, His goodness never ceases to amaze me. He tells us how to map out our daily life! He has given us everything we need for life and godliness! (2 Peter 1:3)

My prayer for every reader today is to immediately recognize when we are tempted to get sidetracked, then immediately get back on track looking straight ahead and fixing our eyes on Him! I pray we purposefully mark out our path, setting boundaries that keep us on His straight path, in the name of Jesus!

Please say this out loud and make it your confession with me today
We are not looking back, we are pressing on and praising Him for the progress we've made!