Winning - But Not Like Charlie Sheen

I may not be the most competitive person in the world, but I do like to win. My husband would say that I am lying and reference a dark event from our engagement. We were at an engagement retreat & had to play a communication game.  The men are given a task and the girls have to give their fiancé instructions of what to do next. Apparently, I didn't take the game seriously enough. Jady lost to a deaf man who was blindfolded. Really. Jady was not happy. I don't care about winning like Charlie Sheen, or winning at stupid engagement retreat games. But, I do want to 'win' in my life. I was looking at this verse the other day:  

      Brothers & 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

Paul acknowledges that he hasn't won yet, but he knows how to get there. By forgetting the past and moving on to the things ahead. This means two things to me:

First we have to forget the past that haunts us. Forget the things we didn't do, the things we failed at and all the scrapes we got along the way. The regrets from our memories and the scars from our experiences - we must forget them. We must look ahead. Believe the promise again. Risk again.

Second, we have to forget the past that brought us glory. It is easy to ride on the accomplishments you have made this far. All the influence you have gained, the recognition you have earned. We have to let that go as well. If not we will simply coast along satisfied with how far we have come. But coasting doesn't get you across the finish line. We thank God for the things He has done in our lives already, but we look ahead & not behind. We believe that God takes us from glory to glory. You and I have to reject the lie that the 'good old days' are as good as it gets. We cling to the promise that the best is yet to come. We keep moving forward knowing there is always more of God to be had.

I want to forget all the things - good & bad - that can hold me back & make me slow down. I want to focus on the Kingdom coming. I want to win.