Some days, I admit I do not have it all together. Maybe you feel the same way. You wake up and look at your life, and it seems like you are not where you thought you would be. The past can tug at you, as can mistakes and regrets, or just a sense of falling behind. The future can look uncertain. You might even wonder if you will ever reach what God has for you. Paul knew what it was like to feel that way. He was honest about his journey. He wrote,
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s story was full of hardship, loss, and learning to start again. He did not pretend to have reached the finish line. He kept pressing on. He made it clear that he was still reaching, running, and learning to depend on Jesus daily. It can be easy to get stuck looking backward. Sometimes, the weight of what is behind us can feel heavier than anything ahead. Maybe you carry memories you wish you could erase or pain that lingers. Paul chose not to live there. He said,
“forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”
Letting go is not easy, but God’s grace makes it possible. Christ allows us to lay the past down, no matter how tangled or heavy it feels. This journey with God is not about having the strength to win alone. It is not about perfection. It is about trusting the grace that met you at your lowest. Paul said,
“I press toward the mark.”
He did not quit when it got hard. He kept his eyes on Jesus. Sometimes you may feel like you are crawling more than running, but the important thing is to keep moving forward. Even small steps matter. Paul encouraged his readers to walk together. He wrote,
“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule; let us mind the same thing.”
If your vision is unclear, if your heart feels tired, God will help you see again. The Lord is patient with us. He guides, corrects, and strengthens us when we ask. You are not meant to walk alone. Paul said,
“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.”
Life is not a solo race. We need people who help us keep going, friends, family, or a church that reminds us to look up and trust God when we feel like sitting down. We all have days when we stumble, and it helps to know others are still walking with us. There will always be other voices and other paths. Some promise a shortcut, an easier way with no cost. Paul warned,
“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
The world may tempt us to live for ourselves, for comfort or success, but that road is empty. Paul points our attention higher.
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
We are not running for things that fade. We are citizens of heaven, waiting for Christ, who will make all things new, including us. So, if you feel slow, tired, or unworthy, remember this: your story is not finished. God’s mercy is not behind you. It is following you right now, every step. You do not need to be perfect to stay in the race. Christ’s love is enough to carry you, forgive, restore, and give you strength for today. Take courage. Do not look back in regret. Do not give up, even if your steps feel small. Walk with others who want God’s best for you. Help those beside you and accept help when you need it. God is shaping you for glory, even in the quiet and hidden places. You are not forgotten. You are not alone. Mercy is still following you, every step, until your story is complete in Him. The race is not to the swift but to those who trust the One who called them and keeps them.