In my final three meditations each morning, I switch the focus away from encouraging, empowering thoughts to begin my day. Instead, in these final three meditations, I focus on what lies ahead for me that day—especially what I will write and say in my blogs, books and podcasts.

To begin, I meditate upon what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14-15).

Each morning, I need to remind myself of Paul’s wisdom. Because, like most people, I tend to get depressed thinking about times and ways in the past that I failed. I’m tempted to quit.

Paul was well acquainted with his failures.

His greatest failure was that he initially did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Indeed, Paul persecuted the church intensely “and tried to destroy it.” (Galatians 1:13).

Furthermore, Paul confessed that sometimes: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15).

Paul could easily have gotten discouraged by remembering the many times and ways he failed. Paul could easily have decided that he should quit.

Instead, Paul turned his “lemons” into “lemonade”.

Paul did “not lose heart.” (2 Corinthians 4:1). He realized that God gave us the treasure of his Light “in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Paul learned from his failures.

Paul learned that “there is neither Jew nor [non-Jew], neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28).

Paul learned that the fruit of the Spirit of the LORD is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Paul learned that “[t]he only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6).

As my father taught me, he made many mistakes working at Kodak. Nevertheless, he got promoted because he learned from his mistakes. He never made the same mistake twice.

In contrast, many other people at Kodak never got promoted. Why? They didn’t learn from their mistakes. They repeated the same mistakes over and over and over again.

So don’t forget the wisdom that you learned by making mistakes.

Paul learned the wisdom to understand that God does not always remove the “thorns in our flesh” that threaten to discourage us—to convince us to give up.

Paul learned the wisdom to understand that God wants to teach us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

And so, forgetting what lies behind—the times that I’ve failed—I resolve to press on and strain ahead with the wisdom that I learned from my failures.

Such persistence after a failure is wise under any circumstances.

As the saying goes: “If you fall off the horse, get right back on it!”.

As Moses learned, it’s necessary for us to press on and strain ahead—to get back on the horse. It’s necessary for us to press on and strain ahead, hoping in the LORD to establish the work of our hands. (Psalms 90:17; Exodus 4:10-17).

After all, Moses spent “forty years” in exile fleeing his failures in Egypt. Then, he spent another “forty years” wandering in the Wilderness leading Israel, despite failure after failure by Israel and Moses himself. (Acts 7:23,30,36; Deuteronomy 9:7).

Such persistent pressing on and straining ahead is especially necessary each morning as I prepare to write blogs and books, and record podcasts.

Why?

Because my goal is to establish the work of my hands by winning the prize for which God is calling me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Because my goal is to help others to establish the work of their hands by winning the prize for which God is calling them heavenward in Christ Jesus.

How?

By remembering the wisdom that I learned from the times and ways I failed.

By forgetting all my reasons to get discouraged and quit.

By pressing on!!!

By straining ahead!!!

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

When have you failed?

When has remembering your failures made you discouraged and want to quit?

What is the goal of your life? Why?

How are you pressing on and straining ahead to achieve your goal?

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For other blogs about meditating in the morning, please read my blogs “Meditations: This Is the Day that the LORD Hath Made”, “Meditations: Let It Go”, “Meditations: Be Still”, “Meditations: The LORD Is My Shepherd”,  “Meditations: A Good Parent Is a Good Shepherd”, “Meditations: THIS Is the DAY!”, “Meditations: Hesed Endures Forever”, “Meditations: Hesed Redeems Forever”, “Meditations: Hesed Blesses Forever”, “Going Further onto the Patio”, “Amazing Grace: Birdsongs!”, “Pandemic Wisdom: Leaves and Birds”, “Pandemic Wisdom: Meditating”, “A Foggy Sunrise”, “Mountains and Hills Breaking Into Song”, and “God Cares for Each Bird That I See Each Morning”.

For examples of Paul pressing on and straining ahead despite setbacks and failures, please read my blogs “Forgetting So We Can Press On!” and “Paul’s Persistence and Perseverance Pay Off”.

When I meditate on this Scripture, my mantra is “Forgetting What Lies Behind”, even though the NIV says “Forgetting what is behind” because I’m thinking of the King James Version which refers to what lies behind.