Years ago, I walked into a government building. There were two sets of double doors about 15 feet apart. They were both automatic doors. In order for the second set of doors to open, you had to let the first set of doors totally close. As long as I stayed near the first set of doors, the next set would not open. I had to go beyond a certain point to trigger the second set of doors. Really, it’s the same way in life. You have to move beyond your past disappointments, move beyond your failures, and move beyond the hurt. You have to let those doors of the past totally close. There’s nothing you can do about them anymore. You cannot change the past, but you can do something about the future. What’s in front of you is more important than what is behind you.

Maybe you feel like life has knocked you down. The key is: don’t stay down! Get back up again, dust yourself off, and move out of the way so those doors can close. If you can’t find anybody to encourage you to take a step forward, you’ve got to learn to encourage yourself. Get up in the morning, put your shoulders back, and look in the mirror and say, “You know what, I’ve come too far to stop now. I may be knocked down, but I’m not knocked out. I’m going to get back up again. I know I’m a victor, not a victim.” Keep yourself stirred up so you can see new doors begin to open. And I believe if you will have the right attitude, you will see more opportunity in your future than what you’ve lost in the past. This is a new day.

Today let me encourage you, God is a good God, and He has good things in store for your future. Don’t camp out between the doors of the past and the doors of the future. Don’t settle in the land of “good enough.” Keep pressing. Keep believing. Keep moving forward. You’ve got great things on the inside you. You were not made to be average; you were made to excel! You were made to leave your mark on this generation. Choose to let go of the past, choose forgiveness, and choose to move forward through the open door of blessing God has right in front of you!

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13b, NIV).