I’ve been on annual leave from work, since Christmas. It’s been good to get a break of just over 2 weeks, having just had a 2 week break during the summer this last year, and other leave just being a day or two here and there.
For some time now, we have really needed to do a massive clear out of our wardrobes, as we’ve accumulated way too many clothes, and kept clothes which we no longer wear, and in some cases have forgotten we have!
so over the last couple of weeks we’ve taken some time most days to try and identify not just clothes, but all things which we no longer require. We were determined to get rid of some of the clutter that we’d accumulated.
Sometimes when we’re clearing out or rummaging through boxes, we come across items that remind us of times passed with people who are no longer with us, or we find items that we associate with painful memories, or things we’ve held onto “just in case”. In those instances it’s always good to realise that some items take up space both physically and emotionally in our lives, and that they are in fact preventing us from moving forward.
My friends, I don’t feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead.
Philippians 3:13 (Contemporary English Version)
These words from Paul came to me as I considered this, because He understood that looking back for too long, especially at guilt, regret, or even past achievements, can weigh us down. Moving forward in faith requires letting go of what was, so that we can embrace what God is doing now, and will do in the future.
It’s not that the past doesn’t matter, but remembering that it doesn’t have the power to define our future. Whether it was a mistake we made, an opportunity we missed, or even a version of ourselves that no longer fits with who we are, God invites us to release it.
God’s doing something new in our lives, but we have to be ready and willing to receive it.
As I return to work tomorrow, and therefore back to my ‘normal’ daily life, I pray that I will be have a heart willing to let go of the past, so that I and ready to go forward with confidence in whatever God has planned for me. I pray you also can make this your prayer today.
The Distinct Dot 