A Message of Inspiration From the Author of Living Loved, January 11, 2026
Hey friends! So I’ve been thinking about this New Year stuff and I realized how heavy last year felt. As I was praying asking the Lord about today’s message, it was really on my heart to ask you l, friends, what it is you’re still carrying from the past?
Our past is an anchor to our soul. It doesn’t have to be. We can lay it down and let the Lord heal it. We can seek and give forgiveness to others as well as ourselves. What is in your past you need to let go? The word says to forget what is in the past and strive for what’s ahead.
Read with me!
Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
[12] I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. [13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
You see Paul wasn’t saying he had it all together and was perfect. He was saying that he was striving towards the goal which is to forget about our past, the who we used to be, what we used to do, the things we identified with, etc and strive towards the prize becoming more like Jesus. And our goals should be to forget those past things that hold us back and work towards knowing Christ, learning to be like Christ, and learning to live like Christ!
Forgetting doesn’t mean denying what happened. It means refusing to let yesterday define today. It means releasing what Christ has already redeemed so we can fully pursue what He is still unfolding.
Friends, God is calling us onward—not backward.
Forward in faith.
Forward in healing.
Forward in purpose.
Don’t stop because of where you’ve been.
Press on because of where He’s calling you.
As it says, “ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
He’s calling us for a heavenly prize. Eternal things! So drop the heavy past you carry and press on to the race He has called you. He already bore all your past on the cross. Live loved friends!! You are so loved!!
About the author
Tracy Kelley is a follower of Jesus, mother, grandmother, author and speaker, living in Sulphur Springs, TX. She is the author of the book Living Loved, Learning to Live in the Fullness of Gods Love, where she shares encouragement from her daily journey and how God has shown His love to her through various trials. You can buy her book, find events, book her for your event, and follow her by going to her Facebook page, where you will always be greeted as friend! You can purchase her book at Good News Book Store in Sulphur Springs, TX; online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most other major retailers.
