“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” Johnny Cash

The thought today is directly related to an idea expressed by Paul in Philippians 3:13-14. While Paul was not necessarily focused on failure, when forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, the implication is connected.

Of all people who might allow the past to hinder their forward movement in the cause of Christ, Paul is near the top, if not at the top, of the list.

However, the key to remember with today’s thought is that we cannot live in or change the past. We must learn from it, good and bad. We must use our time, energy, and space to move forward in the development of a future that leads others spiritually. We build on the failures and improve our direction.