“That’s never been done here before.” “We’ve never been to the state playoffs.” “We’ve never beaten them before.” How many times have athletes looked at past seasons as the standard for the current season? The past can be a great thing when kept in perspective.

At times we get caught up in looking at the past. We think that what we did last year has a bearing on what we can do this year. That is true to an extent. If we don’t work hard in the off-season, the season’s competition will be a struggle. But we also need to forget past seasons in order to reach our full potential. Paul knew this well. He was the ultimate bad guy. He not only persecuted Christians, he killed them. How could someone with such a past be of any use to God? By “forgetting what is behind,” Paul accepted God’s grace and forgiveness and pressed on to the goal of what the Lord had for him. He refused to allow past mistakes to keep
him from doing the will of the Father. If Paul, who killed many Christians for their faith, can accept God’s forgiveness and put his past behind him, can’t we?