Sometimes we feel discouraged and don’t want to do anything. We feel like we don’t want to move forward, but just stand still in defeat. We are waiting for something good or exciting to happen to change our trajectory. If we give it some thought it doesn’t make sense. When driving a car it won’t go without gas or you pressing the gas pedal right? So how can we expect to move forward while sitting still? We have to press forward. Like the saying goes, just ‘put one foot in front of the other’ and start moving.

The Bible talks about pressing on in Phillipians 3:14 (NLT) – “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us”

How can we press on? In verses 12 and 13 we find some guidance, so I am sharing 3 ways to press on. These are my interpretation. I am not a Bible scholar in any way! I am just hoping to encourage someone else.

1. Have a goal in mind
2. Forget the past
3. Focus on the future

If you don’t have a goal in mind then what are you aiming for? What do you hope to achieve in life and how will you achieve it. Take some time to think about what things you’d like to accomplish in life. Do you want to be debt free, have a closer walk with God, lose weight, improve your relationships? Write down your goals and start working towards accomplishing them. Take one step at a time and you’ll be moving closer and closer to achieving your goals.

Forget about the past. Let’s face it, we all have a past and not all of it is good and perfect. We’ve made wrong choices, offended people, and missed the mark. The question is should we wallow in those past mistakes or should we evaluate what went wrong, how we could do better, and move forward?  I say learn and move forward. There are lessons to be learned in the mistakes we make, but the mistake is a bump in the road and not the destination.

Focus on the future. We should not only have a goal in mind, but we should be thinking about what it would look like to achieve your goals or a portion of your goals. Imagine having one credit card paid off. Think about how that will free up money for other things. Imagine losing 10 pounds and how that will allow you to fit into the clothes that have gotten a little tight or didn’t fit at all. You get the idea. Start to focus on the positive things down the road that will happen as you press on.

Pressing on takes some effort especially if you’ve allowed yourself to give up and come to a stand still. But you can do it, you can learn to press on. Create your goal, forget the past, and focus on the future. Do these 3 things for a few weeks or even for a month or two and see where you are. I think you’ll be pleasantly suprised with your progress.

How will you shine today?