This Month’s Theme:
Keep Moving Forward

Brothers and 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

Reflection

There are days where we feel like giving up, and those days can be hard to push through. But we forget that God is ever-present. He is merciful and compassionate, He has never—and will never—lose sight of His children.

Let us take a moment to remember the days we thought we couldn’t get through–the days which hurt us the most, and the memories that scarred our hearts–and how God was right there with us in every moment.

Today, let’s ask for God’s help to let go of the past, joyfully live in the present, and push forward into the future. Nothing is more fulfilling than living with God’s enduring love and peace.

Join in the Conversation

Our past regrets, failures, and unforgiveness can be like an undercurrent, dragging us and drowning us under their weight.

However, Jesus is on hand to steer us as we row (and grow) towards our future in Him, where all our earthly failures and regrets will pale in light of His glory. So let’s keep our eyes trained on “the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14)to be with Him and to know Him.

Come now, we want to hear your stories and thoughts: What does it mean for us to “strain forward to the heavenly prize”? How can we stop obsessing over our past? And how can we let Jesus take hold of our future? 

Read our writer’s guidelines and get your writing going! Do also browse our sub-themes and article prompts for more inspiration (see dropbox below).

Topics to Explore

Forgetting what is behind:

  • How can reflecting on our past help us move forward?
  • Is it possible to forgive and forget?
  • Should our past indicate our future?
  • Seeing our past in the light of God’s work on the cross

Pressing on toward the goal 

  • Are we serving out of love or duty?
  • Goals worth setting as Christians
  • How do I know if I’m pressing towards the wrong goal?
  • How do I keep in the Word when God seems silent?

God’s heavenward call for me 

  • Why didn’t God take us straight to heaven after saving us?
  • Does eternity really start now?
  • Why should I think about heaven when I’m still young?
  • How does our heavenly reward impact our life on earth?

Join in the Fun

If you’re more of a visual person, you can be a part of the YMI community by contributing or tagging your artworks with our hashtag #ymitoday. Check out our creatives’ guidelines and send us your artworks.

We know you love your colours, so do we! Every two months, we set a colour theme that we’ll work around. Use the colour palette below to increase your chances of getting featured!