“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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 3:12-14

Dear Jesus,

I know that my life isn't quite over because I am still here. I know that at the moment my body dies, my soul will be perfected. Until I receive that gift, I have a purpose for my life; it's to live out faith and love in your name in an athletic way. It’s to press on in ardent, concentrated love toward the day I experience your perfect love and power in heaven. Every now and then, I am overcome by memories of past failures. They turn me inward and downward. But in this passage, Paul tells me that even he willfully forgot what was behind, so he could live fully in the present. Help me today to forget all of my sins and failures as well as every supposed accomplishment. These two impostures only distract me from today. Instead, give me the singular purpose to live today the way you have called me to. Thanks for paving the way for me to do this with your pure grace.

AMEN

God has promised to give us grace and forgiveness for the rest of our lives. Let's promise him to run in that sphere with all the spiritual agility we can muster.