"Brothers, 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
Philippians 3:13-14
Oh how good we are at looking backwards into our past to determine what we should do in the future. You've heard it said "To predict future behavior, look at their past behaviors"...I am NOT a counselor, so I say this in my own opinion, but as a Believer, I don't agree completely. I think our past is the past and we must continually be "straining toward what's ahead" pressing on to the goal and reward ahead of us. If you are caught up in habitual sin, then yes, you will continue to sin until you confess it, ask forgiveness and sin no more. But, if God has revealed an area of sin or disobedience in your life and you acknowledge it, confess it and ask God to purify your heart and mind-then your future behaviors should be different. You will no longer make the same choices thus giving you different results.
How are we going to live a different life, a holy life full of grace and faith if we feel the condemnation and unworthiness from our past failures. We can't!!
We all have scares from our past, some are deeper than others. We may still be suffering the consequences of past mistakes. Do we think God's grace isn't enough? That He must not be able to use us, help us in our current affliction...we are unworthy of being anything worthwhile because we have made mistakes in the past? What a lie from the evil one!! We are absolutely valuable and His grace IS sufficient. He showed us how valuable we were on the Cross!
God allows us to suffer and make mistakes so that we feel our humanness. Without Him we are weak, we will make bad decisions. We must rest assured that He sees us and He never leaves us. His grace is sufficient for every moment we face, certain and uncertain.
I have been on an intense journey with the Lord these past 10 months and I can't help but look back. If I look back and see my fear, my anxiety, my failures, where I didn't trust and depend on Him, then I feel bad-unworthy-hypocritical and I am right back into the place of being a failure. This doesn't move me forward but backwards! However, if I look back over these past 10 months and I see where in my fear, anxiety, failures, God met me-He gave me grace-He held me tight with compassion-He provided strength and grace within the affliction-THEN I am encouraged, empowered, strengthened and motivated to take the next step.
A close friend of mine and I were talking about what God has done in my life over the past year and a half. Although a little painful, I am thankful we took time to visit the past. We just didn't hang out there!!! I had a yearning, a thirst for God that I couldn't seem to satisfy. I was craving a deeper, more intimate relationship with my God but I couldn't get more of Him. I prayed for boldness, courage in my faith, in my walk, in every area of my life. I attended a woman's bible study hoping that it would hold me accountable thru the daily homework to find Him and He would make me into a bold, fearless woman of God proclaiming Him from the mountaintops. I had forgotten about these prayers and desires. Careful what you ask for. Funny though, I thought He would just hand them over to me-transform me when I awoke in the morning into a confident, faithful and beautiful servant of Him. Nope-He wasn't handing it over on a silver platter. I look back now and see his ways were certainly not my ways. I thought He wasn't hearing me because the transformation wasn't happening like I expected.
All in His timing-His ways! Entering this season-not day- but season of pain, affliction and suffering has slowly refined me, transformed me. No, I do not feel I have all the courage and confidence and boldness I wish I had, I am still growing and learning. I will say that He is working though. I am task oriented and I like to plan and make lists that I can check off what has been accomplished, but my impatience gets me in a tiff....God, where's my boldness?? Where's my courage and strength??? I want it NOW! You know, He has given me more today than yesterday, and there's more than the day before that and so on. Like a flower planted, slowly it takes root and blooms with the nutrients provided every day. Every day God meets me. Every day He provides more of Him...and He is an infinite God!
My Friend, wherever you are today, I pray you find yourself moving onward. Take a moment and look back with the purpose of finding those grace moments, see how God has carried you all this time. Then, move forward. He has a specific plan and purpose for your life and there is nothing He allows to happen to you that doesn't accomplish that specific goal in His divine plan. Is He pruning you right now? Are you going through a trial and you don't understand why? Do you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over? Are you waiting for something to come to you in the way you expect it to?
Trust Him, not yourself. Seek first the kingdom-not yourself for you are not the Master Planner. Stick with the plan! Dwell on His awesomeness! He is near-He is near!
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:1-5
So, is looking back a bad thing? I think No. It depends on why you are looking back in the past. If you are reflecting back on the mercies, the redemption, the grace and compassion God has given you through past trials, then there is great encouragement to remember His grace given to you in those moments. But if you glance back and feel condemnation and judgment, and this is what you use to determine how you will make choices for your future, you won't be walking ahead, but backwards. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.How are we going to live a different life, a holy life full of grace and faith if we feel the condemnation and unworthiness from our past failures. We can't!!
We all have scares from our past, some are deeper than others. We may still be suffering the consequences of past mistakes. Do we think God's grace isn't enough? That He must not be able to use us, help us in our current affliction...we are unworthy of being anything worthwhile because we have made mistakes in the past? What a lie from the evil one!! We are absolutely valuable and His grace IS sufficient. He showed us how valuable we were on the Cross!
God allows us to suffer and make mistakes so that we feel our humanness. Without Him we are weak, we will make bad decisions. We must rest assured that He sees us and He never leaves us. His grace is sufficient for every moment we face, certain and uncertain.
I have been on an intense journey with the Lord these past 10 months and I can't help but look back. If I look back and see my fear, my anxiety, my failures, where I didn't trust and depend on Him, then I feel bad-unworthy-hypocritical and I am right back into the place of being a failure. This doesn't move me forward but backwards! However, if I look back over these past 10 months and I see where in my fear, anxiety, failures, God met me-He gave me grace-He held me tight with compassion-He provided strength and grace within the affliction-THEN I am encouraged, empowered, strengthened and motivated to take the next step.
A close friend of mine and I were talking about what God has done in my life over the past year and a half. Although a little painful, I am thankful we took time to visit the past. We just didn't hang out there!!! I had a yearning, a thirst for God that I couldn't seem to satisfy. I was craving a deeper, more intimate relationship with my God but I couldn't get more of Him. I prayed for boldness, courage in my faith, in my walk, in every area of my life. I attended a woman's bible study hoping that it would hold me accountable thru the daily homework to find Him and He would make me into a bold, fearless woman of God proclaiming Him from the mountaintops. I had forgotten about these prayers and desires. Careful what you ask for. Funny though, I thought He would just hand them over to me-transform me when I awoke in the morning into a confident, faithful and beautiful servant of Him. Nope-He wasn't handing it over on a silver platter. I look back now and see his ways were certainly not my ways. I thought He wasn't hearing me because the transformation wasn't happening like I expected.
All in His timing-His ways! Entering this season-not day- but season of pain, affliction and suffering has slowly refined me, transformed me. No, I do not feel I have all the courage and confidence and boldness I wish I had, I am still growing and learning. I will say that He is working though. I am task oriented and I like to plan and make lists that I can check off what has been accomplished, but my impatience gets me in a tiff....God, where's my boldness?? Where's my courage and strength??? I want it NOW! You know, He has given me more today than yesterday, and there's more than the day before that and so on. Like a flower planted, slowly it takes root and blooms with the nutrients provided every day. Every day God meets me. Every day He provides more of Him...and He is an infinite God!
My Friend, wherever you are today, I pray you find yourself moving onward. Take a moment and look back with the purpose of finding those grace moments, see how God has carried you all this time. Then, move forward. He has a specific plan and purpose for your life and there is nothing He allows to happen to you that doesn't accomplish that specific goal in His divine plan. Is He pruning you right now? Are you going through a trial and you don't understand why? Do you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over? Are you waiting for something to come to you in the way you expect it to?
Trust Him, not yourself. Seek first the kingdom-not yourself for you are not the Master Planner. Stick with the plan! Dwell on His awesomeness! He is near-He is near!
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:6-8
No comments:
Post a Comment