6-1-2023

Good Morning All,

    Philippians 3:13; “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, “

    A great aim or desire of this nation is to improve ourselves.  We are always trying to make it better next time.  We make resolutions every New Year and what are they about?  We usually want to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, spend more time with our family; these are all fine and laudable goals.  We seek to improve our lives, our skills, and our future.

    We view life as one long process of getting better.  Many people see staying the same as really falling behind.  So, if our goal is to get better, why is it so difficult?  Probably the biggest reason is that we have so much difficulty letting go of the past.  We look back too much, and we don’t let go.

    This can happen in our faith walk as well.  When Jesus first called his disciples, he told them that he would make them fishers of men.  He would make them; this shows that it is a lifelong process.  Each day, we are molded and shaped a little bit more.  Each day is different from the last.  Each day we can grow closer to God; our faith being strengthened and nourished. This is done best when we look with our “faith eyes” and see God’s hand in our lives and see His active will for us. We can strive to live as He desires us to live; that is, to love our neighbor, to be compassionate to his needs and willing to sacrifice for our neighbor. 

    So why do we fail?  Many times, it is because we only see with our “physical eyes” which can lead us to look at only our wants, needs and desires. When we do not completely satisfy our selfish wants, we lash out in anger, bitterness, and hatred. We “keep score” with a desire to “settle accounts.” Often, we do not forgive.  Jesus tells us to forgive and then we are to move on.  We are to strain forward.  It is when we are too busy looking back that we fall down.  We need to forgive.  We need to forgive our family and friends for sleights that really mean nothing.  We need to forgive people we don’t even know whose actions are directed elsewhere but hit us.  Above all, we need to forgive ourselves.  It is when we fail to forgive ourselves that the devil keeps a toe hold in our life reminding us of those sins that we won’t let go of.  God’s mercy moves him to forgive our sins; it is only our guilt and the devil’s traps that keep us looking back.  Strive to look forward, going forth in God’s wonderful grace.

    Through God’s forgiveness, he empowers us and enables us to live the life that we were created for; to be the caretakers of His creation and children of our heavenly Father.  God created mankind to grow and live a full life in His care and in His service. Strive to look forward.

Dear Father, lead us forward keeping our eyes looking only to you.  Move us to let the past be past and that we only see what is good looking forward.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret