I was encouraged this morning by a scripture I read in Philippians. There are times I get down and even start leaning toward depressed when I recall the times in my life I messed up. Those times when I made bad decisions or said things I shouldn't have. Even those moments when I was suppose to do something for someone else and for whatever reason I just chose not to do it.

Even though God has forgiven me for all these times, they still linger in my head. Events happen on a daily basis that triggers my thought process and before you know it I am carried back to that time and place when I tripped up.

Paul encourages me to do something that is quite simple on the surface but it can also be the most difficult. So why am I encouraged by this passage today? Because so many times I think I have to do so much to overcome something that could be so little. I feel like I have to do so much good to overshadow the bad.

But that's not what I have to do according to Philippians 3:13 -
"...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before."

Just forget about it. If God has forgiven me then I need to forgive myself. And when that has been done, I can quit focusing on the past and force all of my thoughts to look to the future. Simply put, I can't worry about yesterday if I am thinking about the good I can do today.

Prayer:
"Lord, thank you first and foremost for forgiveness. Help me today that when I start to dwell in my past, my thoughts will be shifted to the present. I understand that I am no good to you if I am sitting in my pity party and dwelling in a time that I can do nothing about. I want to be used by you today!"