We’ve all made mistakes.

And sometimes, the hardest person to forgive… is ourselves.

 

Even after receiving God’s forgiveness, we can quietly replay the past.

The words we wish we hadn’t said.
The seasons we wish we could redo.
The wounds we wish had never happened.

 

Watch before you continue to read...

And if we aren’t careful, those memories begin to whisper:

“You’re not qualified.”
“You’re not bold enough.”
“You should stay small.”

But Scripture gives us powerful direction:

 

“Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark…” 

Philippians 3:13–14

 

This is not shallow optimism.

It is spiritual strategy.

Watch here in the full video:

03:00 What It Means To Forget The Past

 

 

 

The Power of Biblical Forgetting

When Paul says “forgetting,” he does not mean erasing memory.

He means refusing to dwell.

He means releasing your past from controlling your present.

 

Many women try to avoid painful memories by staying constantly busy. If that resonates, you may also appreciate Christian Women: Stop Glorifying Busy and Start Living from Rest.

 

There is a difference between remembering something happened…
and letting it define who you are.

Psalm 103:12 tells us that God removes our sin “as far as the east is from the west.”

Not partially.

Not conditionally.

Completely.

 

So why do we cling to what He has already released?

 

Sometimes it’s shame.

Sometimes it’s pride.

Sometimes it’s fear that if we let go, we’ll repeat it.

 

But holding onto the past does not make you safer.

It makes you smaller.

 

 

 

The Christian Life Is a Race

Paul compares the Christian life to a race and not a sprint.

This is endurance.

When runners compete, they do not glance over their shoulders.

They lean forward.

They stretch.

They fix their eyes on the finish line.

 

Imagine an Olympic runner constantly turning around to look behind her.

She would lose speed.

Lose balance.

Lose momentum.

 

You cannot run well while looking backward.

You cannot move boldly while living mentally in yesterday.

And many Christian women disqualify themselves before the race even begins.

 

 

 

You Are Not Disqualified by Your Past

Let’s speak truth clearly:

  🕊️ If you are saved, you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
  🕊️ Your past does not disqualify you; it reveals God’s mercy.
  🕊️ What Satan meant to shame you, God will use for His glory.

Paul had a violent past.

David had moral failure.

Peter denied Christ.

 And yet God used each of them powerfully.

This connects to how God uniquely created you for His purpose, and wants to use your story. You can read more about that here:

🔗 Uniquely Created by God for a Purpose

 

Your story does not shock God.

It can use it to glorify Himself.

 

The enemy wants your past to silence your voice.

God wants your redemption to amplify it.

 

How to Run Well

Philippians 3 is not just inspiration. It’s instruction.

Here are three ways to apply it:

 

  1. Release the Past Daily

This is not a one-time event.

Ask God each morning to renew your mind.

 

When old thoughts surface, say:

“I press forward.”

Freedom is practiced.

 

 

 

  2. Develop God-Centered Habits

You cannot run a race without rhythm.

You need spiritual structure.

You need daily alignment.

That is why I encourage women to build simple, consistent habits that anchor them in Scripture and prayer.

(If you want a practical starting place, my free guide “7 Habits of High-Impact Christian Women Leaders” walks you through foundational rhythms that support forward movement.)

But remember, habits support freedom. They do not earn it.

 

  3. Fix Your Eyes on the Prize

This life is not the finish line.

Eternity is.

Paul says he presses toward the mark for “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

 

One day, you will see Jesus face to face.

And when you do, the past will not define you.

Faithfulness will.

 

 

 

Let Go. Look Ahead. Press On.

You do not have to relive yesterday.

You do not have to rehearse shame.

You do not have to stay stuck in old versions of yourself.

 

You have a finish line ahead.

And a faithful Savior walking beside you.

So let go.

Look ahead.

Press on.

 

If you want to go deeper into this teaching, I encourage you to watch the full message. That's where I share how to walk forward boldly even when memories resurface.

 

🎥 Watch the full message here:

The prize is ahead.

Keep running.