Is Your Past Still Tripping You Up?

Thank you Gwen Smith for today’s message…

It spoke to me as I strolled down the check out aisle of Marshalls that day. The wall art that was featured on an impulse-buy rack.

 

Amen! I thought.

The message? Simple: “Don’t Stumble On Things That Are Behind You.”

My mind reeled, and I thought hard about this seemingly simple directive that points to a habit that trips so many of us up: looking back. Allowing the past to deter and diminish our present and our future.

The Apostle Paul had a difficult past to contend with. His early years were spent learning laws and tormenting Christ followers. Then he met Jesus and everything changed for him. He chose to move forward as the new man he’d become.

Instead of wallowing in the muck of condemnation, he stepped into the grace of Christ with determination. With a fresh mission. He wrote a heart-felt message similar to the wall art in his New Testament letter to the believers in the church of Philippi. That familiar, challenging passage…

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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. (Philippians 3:10-14, NIV)

Many of us know this section of scripture, but it’s important for us to realize that the conversation doesn’t end there. What Paul says next is a game-changing statement:

Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:15-16, ESV)

I want to be mature. I want to think this way. Don’t you?

I want to hold true to what I’ve attained in Christ.

It’s the way of life!

I read this and I begin to realize that what Paul is really saying is something to this effect: Let it go, people! Move on. Greater things await you. Don’t look back. It’s no good for you. You won’t gain any traction on the plans that God has for you. If you choose to look back then you need to grow up because that is not where your promise lies. If you are mature in your faith you will believe the gospel. When you are forgiven … You. Are. Forgiven. Believe it. What Jesus did for you and me covers anything that we lay at His feet. Fully.

I’m reminded that it’s time to move forward. That it’s time to fix my eyes on what is ahead, not on what is behind. That God’s mercies are new every day.

Clearly this press-on message is not about sweeping un-confessed sins under a rug and pretending they don’t exist. When we stumble – when we sin – we can’t just forget it and move on. We are to confess it to the Lord, and ask Him for forgiveness.

Grace meets us in the asking and settles it with God.Because of this we can move forward in His grace. Even when life is complicated and messy.

And it’s not about locking deep heart wounds in a secret compartment of your heart. The Bible invites us to take our aching, angry, abused, or offended hearts to Jesus so that He can give us the rest we long for. Healing for our heart wounds.

The reward of faith is freedom in Christ.

The past has no hold on you.

Grace fixes the gaze of the believer forward.

So the next time I’m tempted to look back at a failure or an old heart wound, I will remember the wall art wisdom from Marshalls and choose not to beat myself up, not to re-hash that painful conversation, not to blame that person … not to stumble on things that are behind me.

Instead I will reach for grace. I will reach for Jesus and call to Him for help.

And in the reaching I begin to take my place among the mature-in-faith.

Have a blessed day!

Growing Pains. #Throwback

This is a Throwback Thursday post… this post originally appeared in my blog in 2013 when I first started blogging.  Funny how things sometimes come full circle and God SMACKS you on the head!  I hope you enjoy this:

No, this is not a blog about the 70’s sitcom. It is actually about a God moment that I had during church. The sermon in a sentence was: If you are going to grow, the ministry MUST be shared. WOW! I thought this was a message just for me – a personal smack in the head from God! On the surface, I am good with change but deep down in my core – I don’t like it. I mean who does, right?

Pastor Al shared this “people in our lives are making our parachutes, God puts them there for a reason and sometimes only for a season”. He was talking about all of the changes that took place in our church over the last several months. Change is good, it shakes things up and gives us a new perspective on life. With growth sometimes comes conflict, it is inevitable. So here are some tips on dealing with conflict that I am going to apply to my business and personal life.

Here is what NOT to do when there is a conflict:

• Don’t play the BLAME game. GUILTY! When there is conflict, I have found myself talking (venting) to other Directors, family and friends about the situation – blaming the other person without taking responsibility for my part in the conflict.
  Don’t be part of the “team split”. As my team grows, there is going to be a natural team split – in a good way. To squash conflict – don’t feed into the team split with the “blame game” or “I am going to take my ball and go home attitude”. Don’t make team members take sides.
• Don’t try to stop the growth. Growth is good! Don’t try to slow it down by not recruiting or sharing your companies opportunity with others.
  Don’t lose focus. Remember your personal “WHY” and what your personal goals are instead of focusing on the conflict. God has a plan for you, personally and professionally, so do not let others steer you off course.
• Don’t overlook the needs of others. Leaders lead differently. Some team members may be attracted to the style of others which is different from yours. Does that mean your aren’t a good leader? CELEBRATE – ENCOURAGE – REWARD everyone despite the conflict. WOW! This was a double smack because I tend to take things personally!

Here is what you should do:

• Reaffirm your calling. What is God’s plan for you? Are you willing to forgo his plan while you “sit on the pity pot” during a conflict.
• Affirm the value of everyone even the negative Nellies on your team. They are your team for a reason – it may be help them or it may be the sandpaper that you need to help YOU grow. Everyone matters.
• Finally, attack the problem rather than each other. Determine what the problem is and work to find a solution to the problem.

Thank you God for using Pastor Al to get my attention. This is an area that I need to work on and these are some great tips. I know that the original message was meant for the members of the congregation but it definitely hit home with me. Are you suffering from GROWING PAINS – professionally or personally? We would love to hear from you.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!