Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward–to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. –Philippians 3:13-14, The Message
I’m definitely no expert about anything at all–but I keep going–keep moving forward. Recently, I had a talk with someone I really care about who’s been going through a challenging time. During the course of the conversation, he mentioned how frustrated he was with some of the decisions he’d made–woulda’s, coulda’s, shoulda’s. Now this whole idea of a lifelong journey permeates every aspect of my life and so the thing that immediately came to mind as we talked was this continuing journey we’re on. It was then that it dawned on me that whenever we look back at the things we “woulda, coulda, shoulda,” we aren’t looking forward. In other words, when we are looking backward at some of the things we’ve done or not done in our life, we’re not moving forward–we’re just standing there–not moving at all.
The verses above capture the best description of a spiritual journey that I know of.
We need to keep pressing on. Relient K’s song “Pressing On” gets this, too…
I think we’re going somewhere.
We’re on to something good here.
Out of mind, out of state.
Trying to keep my head on straight.
I think we’re going somewhere.
We’re on to something good here.
Adversity, we get around it.
Searched for joy, in you I found it.
Somewhere back there I left my worries all behind;
My problems fell out of the back of my mind.
We’re going and I’m never knowing (Never knowing) where we’re going.
To go back to where I was would just be wrong;
I’m pressing on.
Pressing on, all my distress is going, going, gone (Pressing on, pressing on).
And I won’t sit back, and take this anymore.
‘Cause I’m done with that, I’ve got one foot out the door.
And to go back where I was would just be wrong
I’m pressing on.
And to go back where I was would just be wrong
I’m pressing on . . .
On, pressing on, all my distress is going, going, gone (Pressing on, pressing on).
And I won’t sit back and take this anymore
‘Cause I’m done with that; I’ve got one foot out the door,
And to go back to where I was would just be wrong.
I’m pressing on.
You look down on me, but you don’t look down on me at all.
You smile and laugh, and I feel the love you have for me.
I think we’re going somewhere.
We’re on to something good here, and we’re gonna make it after all.
