I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. [Philippians 3:12 (NCV)]

It is wise to remember that, no matter how old we may be, we continue to be a work in progress. Our past, no matter how checkered it may be, should never keep us from a future of service and blessings. God doesn’t care about our past. His concern is not where and how we started our lives; his concern is where and how we finish those lives.

The apostle Paul certainly had a troubled history; he had zealously persecuted the early Christians and was even present when Stephen was martyred. Paul, however, never let his past keep him from moving forward to become the man God wanted him to be. He became the greatest Christian evangelist that ever lived. Let’s not forget, God is never finished with us. What plans does He have for you this upcoming year?

Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. [Philippians 3:13-14 (NCV)]