Brethren, I
do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.
Philippians 3:13
The world will tell you that the dominating influence in your
life is your past. If you came from a difficult home life, that will determine
the direction of your life. If your culture was treated unfairly, that will
dictate the condition of your life today. If you were hurt or abused or if your
youth was spent in rebellion, the remainder of your life will be spent
struggling with your past. The world is preoccupied with the past because it
faces an uncertain future. Christians, on the other hand, live in freedom
because Christ has overcome our past. The “old things” have been done away with
and “new things” have come (2 Cor. 5:17). God has so totally forgiven the
Christian’s sin that He chooses not to remember it (Isa. 43:25). Christians do
not forget the past; but we are not controlled or motivated by it. The
Christian looks to the future with hope. The people of the world focus on what
they are overcoming. Christians focus on what they are becoming. Christians
know that the Holy Spirit is conforming them into the image of Christ.
Christians know that ultimately they will stand before Christ to give an
account of their actions and will spend an eternity in the presence of God.
Christians know that eventually every injustice will be addressed and every
hurt comforted. They know that Satan, and death itself, will finally be brought
to an end. The Christian’s future is so full and rich and exciting that it
supersedes whatever happened in the past. If you are preoccupied with your
past, ask God to open your eyes to the incredible future that awaits you and
begin, like Paul, to press on to what is ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment