This blog previously ran on October 29, 2019, but I felt lead to run it again because it’s so easy to get caught up in our old lives and the sin/guilt that it held for us. Although objects in the rear-view mirror may appear closer than they are, our lives don’t have rear-view mirrors. We should not dwell on things of the past. “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19
Have you ever had an occasion to sit with a Christian who lived a rather sordid past? One of three things happen. They focus on the sin that they were once in. They may feel defeated by the shame of that sin. And hopefully, they will revel in the Savior who rescued them from that bondage.
My husband and I once counseled a young couple who reveled in their sin. We had their family over to our home for a meal and began to share our testimonies. We were very cautious with how much we shared because their 12-year-old son was at the table with us. Before long, the husband and wife began sharing their stories; stories that became far more detailed and sin-glorifying than they were God-glorifying.
My husband stopped the conversation, excused the young son, and explained to the parents why this couldn’t continue. He reminded the parents that this shouldn’t be how we speak about the sin we were once in. He further explained that we should be glorifying God and not the sin. If we can’t do that, we ABSOLUTELY should not discuss these things in front of our children.
Our sin should not be like a rear-view mirror. The small print on our rear-view mirror says, “Objects in the rear-view mirror may appear closer than they are.” Once our sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ, they should not return to view. The only exception should be when God moves us to share our testimony and discuss what He has rescued us from.
But, we all do it. We look back with fondness and a degree of longing. For what ever reason (I guess it is just the nature of the flesh), we humans love to look back. We dwell on the past. The memories of when our children were little become a fixation for us. We focus on past sin and either revel in it or wallow in the shame. We lament over the way things used to be.
The longing for days when our children were young is very common. But we shouldn’t. God designed us to grow older and leave our parents. It is the natural progression. They belong to God. He just lets us borrow them and then they give us Grandchildren (THANK YOU, JESUS 😀 lol). “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24).
If we dwell on the child they used to be, we will miss out on the incredible adult that God has blessed us with. We will miss out on having an incredible relationship with our son/daughter who has become a brother/sister in Christ. And they will miss out on the wisdom of an older brother/sister in Christ. God does not desire us to dwell on parenting a child who has long since gone.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my children as much today as I did the day they were born — if not more. I cherish those memories as much as the next person. But I don’t revel in how much I miss the child. I revel in the AWESOME men and women God created. I revel in how blessed I am to be the mom and sister in Christ of such awesome adults.
Where looking back on our sin is concerned we are not to dwell on our sin, because the enemy will use it to paralyze us and to keep us from living out the call that God has on our lives. The enemy wants to keep us from having victory over that sin by constantly reminding us of it! God has forgiven and forgotten those sins and so should we. “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19.”
The scripture also says that God, “…has removed those sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12. Who are we to draw them back in?! Our sins were nailed to the cross at Calvary. How dare we take a claw hammer and remove the nails that held them — and Him — there.
When we spend time looking back at the way things used to be, we miss the incredible things that God is doing in the present. A very wise and dear gentleman once told me, “The way things used to be, is just that… the way things used to be.” Those days are GONE. Stop dwelling on them!
Things change. We do not have to like it. It is just a fact. Dwelling on the pews we used to sit on doesn’t help us appreciate the cushions on the chairs that keep our back from hurting. Focusing on the things we don’t like about the “new” music in the church, doesn’t help us to make a joyful noise in praise, worship, honor and glory to God.
The scripture tells us to focus on things of heaven, not things of earth or our sin and shame. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1.
We are not to long for days past. “Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.” Ecclesiastes 7:10″.
Objects in the rear-view mirror may appear closer than they are. All those things that we look back on seem much closer when we revisit them; when we look in that rear-view mirror. What is the purpose of a rear-view mirror anyways!? It was created to assist someone backing up so that they would not hit objects obscured from their view.
WE ARE NOT BACKING UP!!!! “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,” Philippians 3:13. We are straining forward!
Yes, “objects in the rear-view mirror may appear closer than they are.” Our lives did not come equipped with rear-view mirrors. Stop looking back. Start praising God for His marvelous works. Let’s keep our eyes on the beautiful face of Jesus, where there is no condemnation or shame! “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
I pray that today we would close our eyes, envision the glorious face of our Savior, and lift up the most beautiful prayers of praise and honor to our glorious Heavenly Father. I pray that we would stop looking in the rear-view mirror (“Remember Lot’s wife!” Luke 17:32) and that we would fix our eyes on JESUS! Therein lies our peace, our comfort, our strength, our confidence, our forgiveness and our eternity! Thank you, Jesus!
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and if you have difficulty forgetting the past, Jesus is calling. He wants to wash you clean and give you a new and triumphant future. Please go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. Once you have, please reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com. Please, let me know. I’d be honored to pray for you and help you grow in your relationship with our Precious Savior, Jesus Christ.
Luv Ya!
