“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18, 19
So often when given the gift to move forward in life, we spend much of our time thinking about the past, reliving the memories and sharing stories of “the good ol’ days.” Too much reminiscing about the past can stifle the blessing and excitement of a new journey and has several negative repercussions. First, spending too much time in the past prevents us from truly experiencing and enjoying the present and all its blessings. When our focus is on the past, and what was there, we miss out on the beauty of today. Second, too much time remembering the good ol’ days will also prevent you from making important decisions and plans for your future. And finally, too much time spent in the past cannot change the past. “The past is in the past” as they say and we have no control over it now.
We do, however, have the opportunity to make today better than yesterday, and tomorrow better than today. Serve God more fully today than you did yesterday. Make better, healthier choices and make an effort to further cultivate the fruit spoken about in one particular verse from God’s Word, in your life today. It’s the fruit spoken of in Galatians 5:19, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Cultivating these areas in your life a little more each and every day will surely make you more efficient in the Kingdom of God.
Make no mistake, a little reminiscing is good for the soul, a glorious way to bond with our loved ones, and truly appreciate all that God has done in our lives. But just like the Israelites, God did not lead us out of Egypt and into the Promised Land for us to return. We are not called to forget our past, just not to live in it.
Move forward with Jesus Christ today! And if you’re in the area, stop by and visit us at Community Family Church!
We’re Saving you a seat!
We love y’all!
Pastor Tom
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