I love what Paul said in Philippians 3:13. He’s talking about moving forward with God. In this verse he basically says, “You know, I’m not perfect. I haven’t attained it all. But one thing I do—I press on.” He is focused on moving forward. He doesn’t want to stay where he is. He doesn’t want to settle for mediocrity. He makes the decision to keep growing, stretching and pressing forward. And then, he tells us what he does to press on; he let’s go of the past. He “forgets” what lies behind. In other words, he doesn’t identify with the past. He doesn’t let it hold him back. Instead, he identifies with God’s Word; he looks forward and identifies with his future.

This isn’t always easy. In fact, it’s a fight. But, it’s a good fight. Scripture calls this the fight of faith. Do you know what makes a good fight? When you’re on the winning side! You know that you’re winning as long as you keep on going—keep praying, keep declaring, keep forgiving, keep obeying His Word. You have to stay in the game if you are going to win! The enemy will try all day long to take you out by reminding you of what happened in your past. He’ll remind you of every time you made a mistake or said something wrong and stuck your foot in your mouth. He’ll attack hard on the battlefield of your mind. But do you know how to stand against those negative thoughts when they come? You stand strong by simply speaking the truth of God’s Word out of your mouth. See, you can’t speak one thing and think about something different. Your thoughts have to follow your words. That’s why Matthew 6:31 says, “Take no thought saying, (what shall we eat or what shall we wear?)” because when you say something, you are taking hold of it in your heart. If you speak words of worry, you will take hold of worry. If you speak God’s promises, you take hold of God’s promises.

Today, I encourage you to take hold of the good things God has in store for your future. Like Paul, if there is only one thing you focus on this year, focus on pressing forward. Focus on speaking the Word of God over yourself and your family every single day. Take hold of the truth. Bind it to your heart. Let it nourish and refresh your soul. As you set your focus forward, you’ll move forward and become all that God has created you to be.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14, NKJV).