Philippians 3:13-14: Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Pre-existing conditions.  We all have them.  Situations we were born into, things we were born with, habits and tendencies that we developed over time, and decisions we have made in the past that stick with us.  Sometimes those are good things that still have a positive effect and sometimes it feels like we are always struggling and climbing uphill.

We may often think ‘we are the way we are’ and there is little we can do to change; that we are just victims of the past.  But that is just not the case.  We make decisions every day that affect our future self.  “Line upon line, precept upon precept” (Isaiah 28:10) we continue to shape who we are and who we can become.  The difference between who we are now and who we were five years ago is largely due to the choices we have made; how we spent our time, the people we have surrounded ourselves with, the places we have chosen to go, etc. So, where will be five years from now?

The Apostle Paul said, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on ….” Phil 3:13.  We press on.  Each day we can do a little more.  Practice a little more patience, show more compassion, be a little more generous, gain a little more insight, grow a little closer to God.  We press on to make it our own, because Christ Jesus has made us his own (Phil 3:12).