February 11, 2019
Philippians 3:13,14 “…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.”
Even though we are shaped by the circumstances of our past, this doesn’t mean we need to be paralyzed by our past. I can’t tell you how many people I know who have just given up. “Why should I try, it never worked before.” “Each time I try to love someone they either leave or die. I don’t want to hurt that way again.” “Each time I step out of my comfort zone I look like an idiot, I’ll be safe by doing nothing.”
The apostle Paul tells us that in order to live a spirit filled life we need to FORGET about our past and not only look but STRAIN to look ahead to what God has called us to do. When I say forget about our past I mean those things that paralyze you today in living a joyful life. Don’t forget about the wonderful people you have met and the great things that have happened in your past.
JUST DON’T LIVE IN THE PAST.
If you want to try something new and everything else has failed don’t look at it as failures but ways that it didn’t work. When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb someone asked him what it was like to fail over 2,000 times. He said “I didn’t fail 2,000 times; I found 2,000 ways that it didn’t work.”
THE REASON MOST OF US LIVE IN THE PAST IS THAT WE ARE AFRAID OF THE FUTURE.
If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life and asked Jesus to forgive your sins, what are you worried about? Here are some questions that you need to ask yourself it you are living in the past.
1. What is holding you back?
2. Heaven is our reward for Faith in Jesus. If it is our reward, why hold on to the things of this earth?
3. “My Family needs me.” If God calls you home then He has something better for your family.
4. “I’m worried about death.” Listen, I’m not too happy about the process either. I would rather die in my sleep than a meat grinder but that isn’t up to me. All I know is that the minute I take my last breath, the next instant I will be seeing Jesus face to face and I won’t remember any of the pain of this world. Amen to that!
I have a wonderful family and a great wife. Why would I want to leave? It is not that I want to leave but I am ready to leave IF God wants me now. What an awesome place heaven will be. There will be no more pain, no more crying, no more death, no more politics and no more bills.
Don’t be worried about meeting Jesus. He created you and knows ALL of your life and your heart, the pain you have suffered down to the number of hairs on your head. He wants to spend eternity with you; do you want to spend eternity with Him? All you have to do is ask Him to come in and take control of your life and ask for forgiveness of your sins. Don’t worry about the past, it’s gone.
Take to heart the words of this song:
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
look full in His wonderful face
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the light of His glory and Grace.”
Strain toward what is ahead, not what has happened. Then and only then will your past grow strangely dim and your life will take on joy, not worry and sorrow.
TRY to have a joyful day.
Brad
Brad's Daily Devotional 