“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,” (Philippians 3:13 NASB).
The Apostle Paul, in the opening scripture, shows us a mentality that we ought to have in order to win in life; he said, “…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.” He’s teaching us to move on from the past and look forward to, and go after the good things that are in the future.
Regrets, pains, mistakes and errors of the past have weighed many people down and prevented them from making progress in their lives. These things have controlled their lives for so long, limiting and disabling them mentally. You have to understand that regrets of the past are the enemies of today’s joy, fulfillment and happiness. If this has been your experience in life, I want you to know that there's a way out. The reality is, you can't change or affect the past at all, but you can change and affect the future. The past is out of your control, but what you think and do today can and will determine what your future will be like. That's the power and right hat you've been given in Christ Jesus!
If regrets, pains and mistakes of the past affect you negatively today, then the past is controlling your future because it's influencing how you think and act today; and how you think and act today affects your future—your life goes in the direction of your thoughts and actions. Worrying, regretting and thinking frequently about the mistakes that you made in the past and the pains that you experienced negatively controls who you are today, and steals from you the time you could use to imagine and create a beautiful life and future for yourself, your family, your loved ones, and others in the world. What you need to introduce into your thought-life and system is hope. Hope is the expectation for a positive desired result or future; it's the expectation for something good, pleasant and desirable to happen in the near or far future.
The Bible says, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:24-25 NKJV). How miserable and unpleasant a life without hope is. As long as there's no hope in your heart, you will often feel down and discouraged, mainly because when your mind is wandering, it will think on the negative experiences that you've gone through because you can only think frequently on what's inside you. If you have good and pleasant things to look forward to, however, you'll find strength and inspiration to keep moving forward; you'll have many reasons to not give up or be down and discouraged. Our hope as Christians is based on God’s declarations and promises. To introduce hope into your thought-life and system, you must know what God has said to you, about you, and about other things. And if you live your life based on God’s declarations and promises, you're building your life on a sure, unshakable foundation!
In Jeremiah 29:11, God said, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV). These words should get you excited about the future and encourage you to find out what God thinks, plans and says about your future in His Word! There's no problem or past experience that's powerful or big enough to destroy you. If you understand the power of God and that nothing is too difficult or impossible for Him, you'd know that it doesn't matter what comes or has come your way; you will always come out in a much better place; things will always turn out for your good: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 KJV).
The more you find out what God says about you and other things in His Word, your heart and mind will be filled with hope for a bright, beautiful and exciting future. His words will give you the confidence to envision, plan and prepare for a great life and future for yourself, your loved ones and others in the world! Always remember: God doesn't dwell on your past; He's looking at your "now" and wants to change and connect your present to the beautiful future that He has for you in His heart.
Share this Divine Update with someone else today and help them to live in the liberty and beauty of God's love, blessings and provisions.