Every 4 years the summer Olympics arrive. As a former and uncelebrated track athlete, my favorite events to watch are the relay races. During the Rio Olympics, the U.S. women’s 4×100 relay team lived out what I could only imagine was their worst nightmare: a dropped baton and seemingly the end of their Olympic journey.
The relay race is one of the most difficult events to perfect because it requires all four individuals to work together and, most importantly, to not drop the baton! There is an area on the track called the changeover box where the hand off must occur. Prior to that box the next runner has 10 meters to build up speed so they can take the baton running at full speed. The current runner has to match their speed and make sure to place the baton in their teammates hand correctly. The most challenging part of the baton handoff is that it must be done blindly. The runner receiving the baton starts running with their hand held back, waiting for their teammate to place the baton securely in their hand. Looking back could cost the team valuable milliseconds. In order to win the race, they complete each of the three handoffs at speeds close to 20 mph without ever looking back. That is to say, looking back could cost them everything.
There is an important spiritual lesson to learn here. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” There has yet to be an individual not named Jesus who has lived without having a cause for regret. No one is perfect and we are all a work in progress. Therefore, as we pursue our purpose, it is important not to allow past failures, flaws or faults to prevent future successes. As they say, don’t let it beat you twice. Don’t let your past hinder your future! Keep pushing, persevering and making progress. Sometimes it is hard for us to forget the past but we can’t take hold of the future until we do. Keep in mind the perils of not progressing. Hebrews 6:1 says, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” In other words we don’t need to build what has already been built. We don’t need to relive what we already know from experience doesn’t work. You don’t need a re-do. You need a new-do.
Sometimes even our successes can hinder our progress. Complacency is the enemy of greatness. Knowing how to handle success is as important as knowing how to bounce back from defeat. A house is composed of many bricks stacked one on top of the other. What if a bricklayer laid one brick and then stood back admiring their work for the rest of the year? That brick would not provide any shelter and would not fulfill the purpose of creating a house able to protect its inhabitants from the outside elements. Your ability to complete your God-given purpose is dependent on you not resting on your laurels. Make a commitment today to forget what is behind you, good and bad, and press on to your expected end.
Now remember that American team that dropped the baton? That actually wasn’t the end of their story. By the grace of God, they got an unlikely second chance. It was discovered that one of the Brazilian runners actually crossed over into their lane and the Brazilian team was subsequently disqualified. The U.S. women’s team was allowed to race again in a time trial to see if they could qualify for the final race. Not only did they qualify, but they went on to win the gold medal! What initially looked like a tragedy ended up going down in history as one of the greatest Olympic stories of all time.
We may not have to get over every failure because sometimes, what seems like a failure is just another rung on the ladder of success. It’s not over until God says it’s over. He can take what looks hopeless and allow you to achieve victory while using your testimony to give hope to countless others. Don’t look back and keep your eyes on the prize! The experiences you have had most likely were necessary to produce the man or woman you have become and are becoming. Don’t disregard your past just redefine your past by what you accomplish in your future.