Hello old friends, new followers and fellow bloggers-

Today I decided to discuss something that would help us embrace this next season in our lives, the removal of our past.  In order to discuss the past, it’s place in our lives and its importance- we are going to discuss one of my favorite activities- driving.  Do you drive?  If so, how long have you been driving? Would you describe yourself to be a good driver? Or are people afraid to ride with you in a car?  I love to drive, driving gives me a sense of freedom and adventure.  When my dad taught me how to drive, he taught me all of the parts of the car- with their names and functions as well.  My dad was a big believer in using your mirrors- side, rearview, etc.  He stressed how essential these mirrors were for keeping me safe when they were used correctly.  If I was backing out of a parking space, I would look behind me in my rearview mirror to make sure nothing was coming.  If  I needed to switch lanes, I would use my side mirrors to make sure the coast was clear before I  embarked on the adventure of “lane switching”.  My dad taught me the tools I needed to travel in the safest way possible.

What does driving have to do with the past?  That’s an excellent question.  Think of your past to be like a rearview mirror.  We sometimes look to our past before we take our lives out of park, and begin to embark on our next adventure.  Other than that, we shouldn’t spend so much time looking behind us, focusing on our past.  We should look at  the place where we are presently (side mirrors) to move forward to where we want to go. Think about it.  If we are driving and we look in our rearview mirror the whole time instead of focusing on what is in front of us, we’ll crash and hurt ourselves- worst, someone else.  We hurt ourselves and we hurt others when we live our lives in the past, when we are moving forward yet looking behind us.  Our decisions no longer only affect us but they those around us, so we have to stop looking in our rearview mirrors.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)

Paul knew that he did not have everything in his life together.  He did not come to the place where he was the perfect Christian or had perfect faith, but he was striving for perfection.  In order to reach that place of newness and perfection in Jesus Christ, you must forget your past.  You must stop living your life looking in the rearview mirror.  You have to look ahead of you and know that as you are striving forward, God is walking with you and He will help you reach your life goals.  He will help you, but first you must stop living life looking in the rearview mirror.  Stop looking in the rearview mirror.  

Until next time,

Mo 🙂