LOOKING
BACK
The
presents have all been handed out, company's gone, the Christmas
decorations are coming down, used up Christmas trees wait next to
garbage cans for pick up, and leftovers are the fare for the next few
days. Now what? For many, this time of year becomes "the big
let down." Coming days mean a return to the daily grind of
living without the distraction of coming holidays - now spent.
Attention focuses on what occupied our minds and our time prior to
the frenzy of holiday preparations. This means, for many, a time of
depression and anxiety as people slip back into a funk as thoughts
return to loneliness, failed relationships, and reminders of lost
loved ones that are missed during this time. Many are reminded, by
the coming of a new year, of resolutions that failed to materialize -
of good intentions that vanished into old routines. Old habits
remain, as well as the weight, the debt, and the frustration of
failure. Even the annual depression remains unbroken for those who
vowed that this year would be different.
This
is the result of a malady that many needlessly suffer from. It is
the result of "looking back" without being thankful for the
moment. The Devil exults with delight when we do this, because it
results in the distraction of our attention from the goal that we
should ever keep before us. If he can keep us preoccupied with our
past, he doesn't have to work on us very hard to keep us off guard
and unprepared for the Day that we should
be looking toward. If you always find yourself looking in the
rearview mirror, you are certain to run into your future
unexpectedly. That's unprepared!
"Looking
back" can serve a useful purpose as a pleasant reminder or a
warning to not repeat past mistakes. However,the past should not be
our home. If you constantly live in the past, you will never be
prepared for the future, because faith
demands that we look ahead. Remember, "...faith is the substance
of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1)
Nostalgia
is a big thing right now. Merchandising is ever more geared to
appealing to baby boomers, from "retro" automotive design
to "oldies music" radio stations. I enjoy 50's music, old
cars, soda shops and Jimmy Stewart movies. I enjoy looking through
old photos and reminiscing of more carefree days. But alas, we can't
go back. Wishing we could go back is futile and counterproductive.
However, if we could
go back, we would all do some things differently and avoid some
heartaches we suffered along the way. It has been rightly said, if
our foresight was as good as our hindsight, we would all make changes
to our past. But what purpose does it serve to wallow in the
unchangeable past, only to suffer for it in the present?
Paul certainly had a "past" as we all do. He had much to
"regret" in his life. He admitted, "...I was formerly
a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man..." (1 Tim.
1:13) "For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how
I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy
it." (Gal. 1:13) "For I am the least of the apostles, who
am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church." (1 Cor. 15:9) How many times did he look into the
faces of those he preached to and remember that he had been
responsible for the loss and punishment of some of their own family
members? While his past was a source of regret, he allowed it to
become a reminder of God's grace. He said, "This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, of
whom I am chief. However,
for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might
show all long-suffering, as a pattern to those who are going to
believe on Him for everlasting life." (1 Tim. 1:15-16)
Paul
discovered the secret to contentment by putting the past behind him,
learning from it but not dwelling on it, and then reaching ahead with
deliberate focus on heaven's goal. In recognizing the futility of
dwelling on the past, he wrote these words; "Brethren, I do
not count myself to have apprehended;but one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things
which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:13-14) His act of
"forgetting" the past stands in stark contrast to his
"pressing" toward the goal. Both are deliberate acts, but
"pressing" ahead won't be accomplished if it is offset by a
failure to "forget" the past.
Today is the yesterday that you will look back on tomorrow. Today
is the only time that you can be in control of the outcome of your
life and how you will look back on it. Now is the time to make your
future a time of joy and not regret. The saddest story of regret is
seen in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. (Lk. 16:19-31) Are
you ready for your tomorrow, or do you have a loved one who is not
ready for eternity? Now is the time to do what you may otherwise
regret having left undone.
-
Gary V. Womack - Dec. 8, 2003