Why the windshield is more important than a rear view mirror...

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ 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, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14


Seems lately many people I speak with are nostalgic for days gone by... remember the good ol days kind of thing.  I remember listening to "old" people (people over 25) when I was a kid.  It depended on the message as to whether the "old" days were good or not.  If I was being taught a lesson... like the value of walking to catch the school bus... then the old days were a horror.  If I was being reprimanded... for not doing chores... I was told how much better kids were back then than I was... 
Lesson... the "____ old days" could be either good or bad depending upon my mother's need.  Actually, the real lesson was in how to "guide" my kids when they were old enough to be told about my "____ old days"!

This isn't what Paul is talking about though.  He is encouraging the folks in the Philippian Church to not live on past victories or failures but to keep looking ahead to the promise of redemption in Jesus Christ.  One of the OT prophets tell us that God drops our sins into the "sea of forgetfulness and remembers them no more."  For those whose past might be as checkered as mine, that is good news.  God has cleared the past so I can move into a bright future.  


Paul says he "strains forward".  He is putting effort to accomplish what God has put before him... there is a temptation to rest on past victories.  Like good sports teams who figure they don't have to work as hard to win again find out... to win in the long run you have to keep moving ahead.  You have to keep the vision always before you.  Like a good race car driver will point out... You have a big front windshield and a small rear view mirror because what's in front of you is more important than what's behind you.  
 Here's to keeping your focus in the right place...
Grace and peace in Jesus
Pastor Bill