2026 is upon us. Time waits for no one.

I don’t know how last year was for you. Mine was filled with both joys and sorrows—achievements and failures, progress and stagnation. I felt lost, but also found. I had quite a few visits from the “noonday devil”: that season of wondering whether I was in the right career, whether I was doing what I should be doing.

You have your own stories too. For some, it was the best year. For others, it was a nightmare year. For many, it was both.

But a new year is upon us, and we must press on. We must move forward. We cannot stay in the past. We owe it to ourselves, our families, our friends, and to the Lord to move forward.

In my love of reading, I picked up a book by Dr. David Jeremiah. He recently wrote a book titled Forward: Discovering God’s Presence and Purpose in Your Tomorrow. He is an expository preacher. I used to listen to his program, Turning Point, on Christian television, and it was a blessing to me. No wonder I was excited to see that he had written a book encouraging people to move forward.

The premise of the book is simple but powerful: encouraging believers to move forward. I would like to echo that same message—move forward in 2026 toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

But in order to move forward, we need to follow the instructions of the great Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12–15.

Few people accomplished as much for the Lord Jesus as Paul did. He had a clear calling, vision, dream, and goal. His ambition was to preach Christ where He had not yet been named¹. He won much of the known world for Christ—from the Middle East into Europe—and eventually died in Rome, Italy. In these verses, we learn something of the secrets behind such progress and success.

From his writing in the text, we can extract three vital principles for progress.

1. Acknowledge That You Have Not Yet Arrived

First, we must acknowledge that we have not yet achieved all we have set out to do. Paul says: ‘Not that I have already obtained this… I do not consider that I have made it my own’ (Philippians 3:12-13).

Put more positively, there is still more to achieve. There is still something to be accomplished: a goal to be met, a project to be completed, a person to be spoken to, a soul to be won for the Lord, a financial milestone to be reached.

We have not obtained or achieved all that the Lord has called us to do. We are not done until we are done—and for us, that means finishing our course on earth and going to be with the Lord. So while we are still here, we keep moving forward.

2. Forget What Lies Behind

The second principle is this: to move forward, we must forget what lies behind.

Whatever is in the previous year, we must forget. Not in the sense that we cannot learn lessons from it, but in the sense of not dwelling too much on past successes or failures. In other words, do not let your past control you. Be inspired by the future. Be drawn by what can be, rather than by what has already happened.

Sometimes, our past successes can be the greatest obstacle to moving forward to greater achievements. Jim Collins and Bill Lazier warn of what they call the “We’ve Arrived Syndrome.” In their book Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0, they tell the story of a company called Strategic Software, Inc. For the first seven years, employees and managers worked twelve-hour days in tiny cubicles. Gradually, the company achieved financial success—millions in revenue. Then they moved into a prestigious office complex with modern sculptures and beautiful surroundings. Soon after, the company fell apart. One founder said, “We looked around and found that success had brought malaise. We just didn’t have that same fighting spirit. From there, it was all downhill.”

Beware of the same danger.

I felt something similar after my wife and I reached a particular goal we had set for ourselves. The malaise set in for me. The goal had been reached. What next?

Forget what lies behind. Be inspired by it. Learn from it. But stop reliving it. Move forward.

We are also to forget failures and sorrows. You can never truly move past the loss of a loved one—but you can still move forward. You may have lost your income or your job—but you can still stand and move forward. People may have treated you badly. You may have failed an exam, a program, or a venture. You may even have experienced moral failure. Forget it—not by denying it, but by learning from it. Repent, if need be. Get up and move forward. The prize lies ahead. Finishing well is what matters most.

3. Move Forward to What Lies Ahead

The third principle is to strain forward to what lies ahead. The language Paul uses is strong: straining, reaching, pressing on. Sometimes moving forward requires effort. It may require summoning strength and energy. Moving forward requires intention. You must decide to move. You must exert yourself and keep going.

Dr. Jeremiah, in the book mentioned above, encourages readers to move forward by dreaming, praying, choosing, focusing, risking, pursuing, believing, investing, finishing, and finally celebrating. I have also made my own list, drawn from Paul’s words and from other biblical characters and passages.

• Move forward with a dream or vision

Have a clear picture of what you believe God wants you to do. Envision a bigger, better, and brighter future.

That is what the heroes of faith did in Hebrews 11:16—they desired a better country, a heavenly one. That desire moved them forward in faith to do what God had called them to do.

Even while we are still here on earth, we must envision and desire something better: a better place to live, a better marriage, better relationships with our children, a better church and service within it, a better company, better financial stewardship, better clients, a better life.

Move forward with a new dream—a new vision of where you want to be by the end of the year.

• Move forward with a goal

Paul says in our foundational text that he was pressing on toward the goal. He had something specific in mind. A goal is a vision that is specific, time-bound, and measurable. Paul desired to preach the gospel in Rome—and to Rome he went. He wanted to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and to share in His sufferings—and that he did.

What is your goal? Is it specific? “To love my wife better” is not specific enough. “To love my wife by having date nights twice a month and listening to her without distractions” is a good goal. That is twenty-six dates in a year, and you can measure it. “To earn more money this year” is vague. “To earn or save a specific amount every month” is measurable. You will know whether you have achieved it or not. I hope you have a goal you are pressing toward this year.

• Move forward in prayer

How else can we move forward unless we hear from our Heavenly Father—who leads, guides, directs our paths, and helps us reach the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus?

We must move forward in much prayer this year. We must be like David, who inquired of the Lord frequently. He did not make a move without seeking God’s direction. Should he attack the enemy? He inquired of the Lord. Should he flee from his pursuer? He inquired of the Lord.

Should you take a new job—or even apply for it? Inquire of the Lord. Should you immigrate to another country? Inquire of the Lord.

Move forward by spending much time in secret with your Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ.

• Move forward with the Word of God

Like Joshua, who faced the daunting task of leading God’s people into the Promised Land, the one thing that would ensure good success and prosperity was meditating on the Law day and night, being careful to do all that was written in it.

Let the Word of God be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path, showing you where to take the next step and which path to walk in.

• Move forward with focus

Focus on the main thing you should be doing. What is the one thing that, if accomplished, would make everything else easier—or even unnecessary? Identify it. Focus on it. Work on it.

Conclusion

Move forward with courage, with faith, and with determination to finish the year strong, by God’s enabling. Move forward knowing that—if you are a Christian—the Lord is with you.

Therefore, be strong and courageous. In the words of David to his son Solomon: Be strong, and show yourself a man. Move forward with the strength that the Lord provides.

All the best.