It’s imperative for all believers to periodically look BEHIND and AHEAD for perspective on the past and hope for the future.
I do this several times a year to elevate the precious nature of every day and minimize my time gazing in the rear-view mirror and its string of unmet expectations, dashed dreams, and spoiled plans.
This keeps me in touch with the turning pages of my life’s book and the inexorable movement of sand through the hourglass of time.
It’s important on its face to: 1) Recognize the fragility of life; 2) Appreciate its majesty; and 3) Steer ever closer to living out God’s purpose. But it’s also an effective way to prioritize what’s AHEAD and subordinate what’s BEHIND.
The goal is to not give up ANY of God’s light to what Satan says about the past. What we can SEE is NEVER the full story. Faith, not sight, must be our guide as we scan the pages of yesterday and turn the page to tomorrow.
“We walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
The next step in the process is remembering that there are always “wondrous deeds” in our past, no matter how many disappointments have pocked the road.
“You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us.” Psalm 40:5
No matter what lies BEHIND, God has goodness for us AHEAD.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
And that’s not just for this life…it’s for ETERNITY.
We must come to a point where we cast aside the unrealized, walk away from the graveyard of our worldly hopes, and destroy the barrel of bitterness that can envelope our soul. It’s not easy. Ghosts are impossible to evict on our own. That’s why we must ask GOD.
The ONLY way to be content with what’s BEHIND is to focus on our future inheritance and what God has for us on the road AHEAD. This is the antidote to despair over what could have been and rejoice at what God promises will be.
It’s that destination that will make everything we experience on the journey worth the uncertainty and disappointment. It’s all about putting our HOPE in CHRIST.
“That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:10
