A key criterion for writing success is found in our Lord’s commandment to forget those things that are behind (Philippians 3:13). Too many writers get so stuck on the negatives of their past, particularly in their writing career, that they prevent themselves from moving forward.

Imagine driving your car while continually looking in the rearview mirror. Sooner or later—probably sooner—you’re going to have an accident. The same is true of your writing career. When you keep looking back with regret on your failures, you will miss the many opportunities for success that lie ahead of you.

Here are some steps you can take to avoid looking back:

• Develop a thankful heart. Throughout the day, every day, thank God aloud for a special blessing He has given you.

• Set goals for your future. Goals will help you stay focused on what lies ahead, not on what lies behind.

• Put your past under the Blood of Christ. He is the Redeemer and promises even to redeem our failures of the past (Joel 2:25).

Do you struggle with leaving the past behind? If so, what do you do when Satan tempts you to look back?
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