That Was Then, This is Now
Philippians 3:13 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”
Archaeologists dig up things from the past. A pathologist dissects a dead body to determine the cause of death. An Alzheimer’s patient can’t remember certain things.
From time to time when good things are happening in your present, the past will take a scalpel and try and wound you physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. People will even try and dig up certain events that happened in your life and remind you of what you used to do and who you used to be. How would you like to go back and relive your sins, your mistakes, or the foolish choices that changed your life?
The good news is that you don’t have to. Understand that all those things are covered by the blood of Jesus. You may not have had a great past, but you can have a great future. You don’t have to be paralyzed by the past. You don’t have to resuscitate those things that have flat-lined. With confidence and courage you can tell people, “That was then; this is now.”
The woman at the well was promiscuous. Jacob was a deceiver. Jonah was disobedient. Thomas was a doubter. Peter was arrogant. And God made a difference in each of their lives. He used them as testimonies to the world. Your past may consist of lying, cussing, fornication, drugs, backbiting, addictions, pornography, and drama. But the key word here is PAST. It’s gone; history. Regrets, past sins, mistakes, and failures will try and rob you of your joy and peace of mind. Don’t let that happen. Paul encourages us to forget the past, live for the present, and look towards the future. Allow some things to stay buried in your life. Don’t dissect the problems and try to resurrect old issues. It’s time to develop Spiritual Alzheimer’s and forget about those things that are hindering you. Keep things in perspective. Stay focused. Change your attitude. Break the power of your past by living in the future. “That was then; this is now”.
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