The above driftwood reminds me of some people (and the way I used to be). People can be carried along by the waves of the world ... sin and emptiness and purposelessness. And before they realize it they end up stranded on the beach of ruin, burnt by life and parched and thirsty for meaning. They are stranded with their baggage with no where to go, no where to turn. One of the worst kinds of baggage is to be living in the past, and unable to forget the past hurts and disappointments and unfair treatment by others.
Chances are, if you replay over and over in your mind past hurts, that you have not forgiven others of their sins against you. This is serious because Matthew 6:15 says, "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." I recently made a blog post on forgiveness here . You need to truly forgive those who have hurt you, slandered you, lied about you, or damaged you in any way. Put them in the hands of God. Then God will be able to heal you by His Holy Spirit and take the hurt and pain from your mind and soul. Once you take everything to God in prayer, and surrender your hurts to His capable hands, a peace will come over you that only He can give.
"Hurting people hurt people." - Unknown
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, " - Philippians 3:13
In the above Scripture, the apostle Paul stressed "one thing I do", as if he gave that top priority...to forget the past - leaving it behind him as done and settled. Paul kept his mind on "those things which are before"......his ministry and the future hope of eternity with Christ in heaven. He wished to obtain "the prize", the crown of victory in heaven after he ran his race here on the earth. When we look forward, as Paul did, we see everything to cheer us and spur us on to good works, as well as the joys of heaven and being with Jesus. When we look backwards, we see everything to dishearten us and bring us down, especially if we dwell on past sins and hurts. One who constantly dwells on the past, though he may be a true Christian, is often a recluse and he will be melancholy and depressed. On the other hand, looking to the past he may consider all he has done and the difficulties he has surmounted and perhaps will become self-complacent and self-satisfied. He will trust his past victories over difficulties and hurts, and become proud.
"God has nothing to say to the self-righteous." D. L. Moody
Granted, sometimes it is good to look back and learn from our mistakes in the past. The past can teach us valuable lessons at times. God can use past experiences - even the really bad ones - to transform us and mold us to become the kind of person He wants us to be. We grow and mature as we face trials and heartaches and learn to take it all to the Lord in prayer. But generally speaking, it is better to let go of your past and live in the present, but with the future in view.
Luke 9:62 says, "And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
To put one's hand to a plow is a proverbial expression to signify undertaking any business. In order to complete his work, the plowman must look onward and be intent on what he is doing, and not to be looking back with regret that he even began to plow in the first place. So it is with a follower of Jesus Christ.....we must follow Him with our whole heart and not be influenced by the world and its sinful lusts. And not to have a morbid fixation on what happened to us in the past. You can make yourself ill with depression dwelling on unpleasant things. Morbid things and thoughts are from the devil trying to tear you down and make you ineffectual as a Christian. We do not want to be unfit for the kingdom of God. One way to combat these negative thought patterns is to be constantly in prayer and in the Word of God. If you truly know Jesus in your heart, and have a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you will keep your mind on spiritual things and be a lot happier.
2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."
Note that the above verse says, "old things are past away.....all things are become new". If you are a true believer, you are a new creation. Forget the hurt and badness of the past. You have a new and renewed mind (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23) and need to be thinking about the present and what God's will for you might be; as well as the wonderful hope in the future of being with Jesus in heaven. I am reminded of Philippians 4:8 which follows:
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Think about good things, which will be all the more easier when you are often in prayer and often in the Word of God.
We are living in the last days; the Rapture of the Church (true believers) could happen at any time. We need to be busy in the Lord's work until then. That means to share the Gospel with lost souls. All Christians are ministers in that sense.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." - Jesus at Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)
Romans 12:1-2 informs us: (1) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." - Jesus at Matthew 6:33
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." - Jesus at Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)
Romans 12:1-2 informs us: (1) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." - Jesus at Matthew 6:33
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !
