Several years ago, I was on a bicycle ride with a group of people and we were traveling on the open road. We were riding single file on the side of the road - with cars and trucks passing, road debris, pot holes, intersections and more. On this one particular stretch of road, I was leading about 17 other cyclists through an intersection and across railroad tracks. After I went through the intersection, I looked back to make sure everyone made it through safely. When I took my eyes off of the road in front of me -  I completely missed our next turn. The moment I took my focus off of what was in front, I took us off course!

​In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul stated, “… 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” (Phil. 3:14, NIV).

When we look back, we may be fixating on the past rather than forgetting what is behind. Sometimes we keep reliving the thoughtless mistakes or intentional poor choices that we have made. Perhaps there were minor insults or serious offenses that have been done to us and we are consumed by them and are allowing them to define us, causing us to remain in an attitude of bitterness or shame. Rather than struggle in silence, we may need to process this with a Christian counselor or Godly friend who can help us press on toward the goal and walk in victory.

Maybe when we are looking back we remember a time when our walk with the Lord was more intimate, and we heard His voice more clearly; a time when we read His word and it seemed more alive and active. If we are looking back at those times, we may be missing the fresh word that the Lord wants to speak to us now. We certainly do not want to miss the “prize for which God has called” us!

We all have scars from injuries in the past AND we may have markers of spiritual victories in the past. God wants to use ALL of these past events as opportunities to show us more about Himself today - to show us more of His glory, grace, comfort, forgiveness, strength, kindness, hope and most of all His healing, love and acceptance. We can claim Romans 8:28, “God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” If we cling to Him, we will experience this verse!

This new year of 2021 is a year that we have never experienced. Everything in the future is new and somewhat unpredictable! May the Lord help us to forget and learn from what is behind, to strain toward what is ahead, to press on toward the goal and to win the prize for which He has call us heavenward in Christ! May we believe and know - that in Him, the best is yet to come-and each day remember that this is the day that the Lord has made, we can rejoice in it!

​This morning I took my husband to an appointment with his doctor. I was sitting in the waiting area waiting for him, watching a few people walk through the lobby. A young woman was sweeping the lobby floor. An older man, walking with the help of a cane, entered the lobby doors and made his way to the elevators. As he passed the young woman, he spoke to her, “You’re doing a great job! Keep it up!”

I looked up as the woman nodded a “Thank you” and kept on working. The older man and I shared a glance and I saw a twinkle in his light blue eyes. I hoped that he could tell that I was smiling at him behind my COVID 19 mask.   “That was kind,” I thought to myself. 

It really doesn’t take much time or effort to offer an encouraging word to those around us. Though, it does take an awareness of others and the job they are doing, or maybe a disheartened look on their face, or a stooped shoulder in their walk.
We all benefit from words of encouragement. If you don’t believe me, just think back to the last time someone offered you a kind and encouraging word.  I bet that memory makes you smile.
Recently, I have noticed the places in Scripture where God the Father offered His one and only Son words of encouragement.

When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, God the Father spoke His approval, saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” (Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22)
After Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, Peter, James and John, they heard a voice from heaven declaring, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35-36)

God the Father affirmed his Son and the work he was doing and the person he was here on earth.
In the book of Acts, Luke writes of a man named Joseph, whom the apostles nicknamed Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” (Acts 4:36-37) Barnabas must have been quite the encouraging guy to have earned such a nickname. Luke mentions a little later in Acts that it was this same encouraging guy who went and brought the former persecutor of Christians, Saul of Tarsus, to meet with the apostles after Saul’s conversion. (Acts 9:27) It was a good thing that Barnabas was around to encourage the apostles to give this new believer Paul a chance to be one of them.
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Everyone needs encouragement. This means we all have the opportunity to act as encouragers to those around us. And who knows the difference a little encouragement might make in someone’s life.

​A couple of summers ago, my oldest son and I went on a mission trip to Hungary.  We were serving in the little town of Tóalmás, a rural community surrounded by endless acres of farmland. One of the crops Hungarians grow is the sunflower and they caught my attention. The flowers were in full bloom, creating a sea of brilliant yellow as far as the eye could see.
 
Sunflowers are a unique flower; they get their name because they follow the sun across the sky. In the morning they face the east and track the sun to the west. Then through the night, they turn their heads back to the east in anticipation of the next sunrise.
 
All flowers need the sun to grow, but most do not follow the sun throughout the day like the sunflower.  The sunflower is one of the fastest growing and tallest flowers in the world.  In fact, the tallest sunflower ever recorded stood over 30 feet tall. In order to become what it was created to be it must soak up as much sunlight as possible, so as it grows it follows the sun across the sky.  
 
Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on the things above not on the things of the earth.” The way the sunflower keeps its face turned toward the sun reminds me of how the Lord wants us to keep our focus on Him. This is the way we grow and mature, by spending time with Him, learning to trust and follow Him.
 
The farmer grows sunflowers for several reasons, here are just a few. They replenish the soil, the flowers have a deep root system and when it is allowed to die in its place the decomposition adds nutrients to the soil.  A wheat crop grown after a crop of sunflowers typically produces a bumper crop. The seeds are crushed to make oil, which is used in cooking and even medicine to prevent high cholesterol and heart disease.  They are also grown for animal feed and human consumption.
 
As the sunflower follows the sun it matures into a beautiful flower, and a vast field of them is breathtaking. But its true purpose is not fulfilled until it dies.  Luke 9:23 says “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” In this verse Jesus is saying following me will look like sacrifice, it will demand more than you think you have to give.  At times it will take you to places of rejection and isolation.
 
In the next verse Jesus says “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” In these two verses Jesus says the way to follow me, to live out what I have created you to be, is to lay down your life. Lay down your pride, lay down the way you think you should be treated, lay down your desire to serve yourself, lay down what you want others to think of you and follow Me.  
 
Hebrews 12:2 says, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus is the example, He loved us and laid down His life, and He is calling us to do the same. But in order to do this we must keep the eyes of our heart fixed on Him.
 
So when we see a beautiful sunflower let’s be reminded to follow the Son.