“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: 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 3:13-14
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When I first began coaching high school basketball, I wasted valuable halftime minutes venting my frustration about our team’s first-half mistakes. I’d get so caught up rehashing errors and missed opportunities that by the time I looked up, there was hardly any time left to focus on what mattered most: preparing for the second half. With experience, I learned that halftime isn’t for dwelling on the past but for making the crucial adjustments needed to finish strong. The first half was history, but the second half was where the game would be decided.
Have you ever been so focused on your past that it’s prevented you from embracing the future God has prepared for you? Don’t let your past failures keep you stuck, forgetting the immense sacrifice God made to secure your victory in the second half.
Jesus died to forgive every sin. When you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, your past mistakes become history. The enemy wants you fixated on the score from the first half, but when you surrender your life to Jesus, everything changes. Your first half is forgiven, and your second half is filled with purpose, guided by God’s promise of eternal victory.
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” In Jesus, the game plan shifts from certain defeat to guaranteed victory.
The apostle Paul in Philippians 3 (above) challenges us to focus on one thing: “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.”
Let go of your past and trust God with your second half — it’s where the true victory lies.
— Melissa Motes
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