Forget the Past and Embrace the Future

Let’s face it, as humans we are capable of doing some pretty dumb stuff.  And if we look back over our lives we can probably see a few things we’re ashamed of and we wish we had never done.  Or maybe it’s not what we have done, but what someone has done to us that has left us feeling bad about ourselves.  But the Word of God tells us if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed; behold, all things have become new (see II Cor. 5:17).  That means we are not the person we used to be prior to salvation.  We may live in the same bodies, and our minds need to be renewed day by day, but our spirits have been recreated in Christ Jesus.  And His blood has washed us whiter than snow.  So now that we have a new beginning and a fresh start, why do we look back and identify with our past mistakes and failures?

If we’re not beating ourselves up, other people are reminding us of our past. And if people aren’t reminding us, the accuser of the brethren constantly whispers to us that we are no good. But what has God said about us?
That’s all that really matters. Throughout scripture we are reminded to forget about the past.  And if we ever plan to fulfill our God-given purpose, we must cease to look back, because the past really has nothing to do with where God wants to take us.

In Genesis 12:1-2, the Lord told Abram to get out of his country, away from his family and from his father’s house, and go to a land that He would show him.  God wanted Abram to look ahead to the new life that He had in store for Him.  The blessing was waiting in the new place God was calling Him to.  This is why Satan fights to keep us tied to our past.  He knows we will never be who we are destined to be, and we will never do what we are purposed to do if we live in the past.

The apostle Paul understood the importance of walking in the newness of life in Christ.  He had a pretty extensive rap sheet, but he didn’t let it deter him from his destiny. If he had continued to associate himself with his past mistakes, he would have never been able to write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and we would not be blessed by the bulk of the New Testament that was written by him.  In his letter to the church at Philippi he wrote this:

“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.  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:13

Forgetting the past, and reaching for what’s ahead is vital to our future.  If we ever expect to shine for God and touch the world with our gifts, talents, and ability, we have to be determined to take our destiny by force.

7 Keys to Forget the Past and Embrace the Future

1. Forgive yourself for past mistakes and failures.  
2. Forgive those who have wronged you.
3. When Satan reminds you of the past, speak God’s Word out loud over yourself and he will flee from you.
4. Pray and ask God to reveal His plan and purpose for your life.
5. Take a step of faith towards your future, and keep on stepping as the Holy Spirit leads you.
6. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, and will speak great things over your life.  
7. Get a picture of something that reminds you of where you are going and keep it before you.

“Behold the former things have come to pass, and new thing I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:9

Even as the world around us grows darker, our future in Christ is just getting brighter and brighter.  God is about to do something new and fresh in the lives of His people.  Now is the time for us to live purposeful lives.  Now is the time for us to begin to do what we are destined to do for God.  Now is the time for us to reach the world with what we have to offer.  Today is the day we must throw off the old garments of guilt and shame that remind us of the past, and clothe ourselves in the armor of light, because God is calling us higher.  He is ready to use us in ways that we can't even imagine.  Are you ready? 

Kathy