"Your past is important,
but it is not nearly as important to your present
as the way you see your future."
~ Tony Campolo
but it is not nearly as important to your present
as the way you see your future."
~ Tony Campolo
image from the movie "Back to the Future"
© 1985 Universal Pictures
If the dawn of a new day brings dread rather than anticipation, perhaps we are stuck in the past and need to get back to the future of the present.
Among the reasons we get stuck in the past:
◄ guilt, shame, regret
◄ bitterness, unforgiveness, nursing our injuries
◄ nostalgia
But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
~ Luke 9:62 (NKJV)
Looking back has value. We can gain a better perspective of the present as we better understand who and what brought us here. We cannot afford to forget the mistakes of history. Calling to mind foundational principles and goals helps narrow our options of how to move forward.
But there is a difference between looking at the past and living in it.
► If through Christ God has forgiven our sin, we can do no less.
► If we know God's forgiveness, then He asks us to pass it along to others.
► Whatever good the past held, the Lord has plans for even better.
As the past is a place to look and not to live, so is the future.
Now go with God and create an incredible today!
Lord, please show what to do in this very moment to bring us into step with You, and give us strength to do it.
☼ ☼ ☼
This post is part of a blog carnival hosted by Peter Pollock. You're invited to visit his site and see what others are saying about today's theme: Future.
Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
I so needed this today. I continue to have the past thrown at me -- and despite having dealt with it, others haven't. Rather than get pulled back, I must press forward.
ReplyDelete(i love your use of arrows!)
David ~
ReplyDeleteBecause the enemy knows the future, don't you think he tries to keep us in the past (whether the good stuff or bad stuff), to render us impotent in the present?
(and I'm glad you noticed the arrows :D)
Looking back at the past. Learning from the past. But not living in the past.
ReplyDeleteLiving in the present. But looking ahead to the future.
That's how I want to live.
I like the arrows, too. :)
Snady ~
ReplyDeleteI'm convinced that most of life's challenges are overcome by obtaining the proper perspective and balance while standing on Truth.
Love the pic from Back to the Future. Thanks for the encouragement to go with God to create an incredible today!
ReplyDeleteyou know....arrow #2 is one i struggle with a bit. only for the fact that our country has been so saturated with religeon that(shrug)!my family and friends have heard it a thousand times already and they shrug it and me off as well. you get pretty tired of knocking on those doors....
ReplyDeleteliked that return comment to Snady. that's a good tough chew by it's self.
btw...i liked those three headlights better then the arrows.
ReplyDeleteLisa ~
ReplyDeleteAs funny as the pic of Doc is, I find it rather profound. Hanging on to time for dear life, trying to make the right connection, desperately waiting for the friend he's determined not to let down. Isn't it a microcosm of life?
Bud ~
ReplyDeleteYeah, the problem with Truth is that it starts to sound old when no one's listening. But it's still truth.
Headlights, eh? You've got one sharp eye there, friend.
You are so right in your statement: "As the past is a place to look and not to live, so is the future." We must live today, and yet we prepare and plan for the future which is in God's hands.
ReplyDeleteI read something before that said, "You are who you are because of your past but don't use that as an excuse to remain there."
ReplyDeleteIf we remain in love, it keeps no record of wrong doings and we need to love ourselves enough to let go of the past and let God be our future.
But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." ~ Luke 9:62 What a blessing that our Lord would remind us, just when we need it! Thanks Anne, you sharpen my sword!
Thank you for this post.Blessing
ReplyDeleteIt you want to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you have to stop looking backward ...
ReplyDeleteAnne, thanks for the reminder and the challenge to create an incredible today. God bless!
ReplyDeleteHazel Moon ~
ReplyDeleteWere the future not in God's hands, all efforts to plan for it would be in vain. I praise God that
He
is
in
Control!
MikeyAnn ~
ReplyDeleteThe value of the past, even the past we don't like, is to be remembered. Your quote about love not recording wrongs is well placed!
Rusty ~
ReplyDeleteThat quote about light and the tunnel and looking backwards sounds like something worthy of speaking often and remembering well.
Landry ~
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by. May you be blessed in your seeking and in your finding.
Chris ~
ReplyDeleteIf we go with God, He is sure to create more incredible days with us than we could ever manage alone. One at a time, of course! :D