12-07-2023

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,”

     One of the current “buzzwords” that is popular multi-tasking.  It is a word that means we are doing more than one task at a time.  Many equate this with using the phone, the computer and maybe carrying on a conversation at the same time.  It is supposed to be a sign of a harried yet skilled management of time.  According to many psychologists, it cannot happen.  You cannot multi-task.

    The reason for this statement is that our attention is singular; you pay attention to one thing at a time.  If you are using the phone, using the computer, and carrying on a conversation, psychologists will tell you that you do one of these and ignore the other two while you perform that task.  You may have all three (or more) activities on in front of you, but you focus on one at a time.  Your focus may be short, as little as a few seconds, but that focus is one at a time.  You focus on one activity and then the next and then back, but it is one at a time.

     Why is this a question?  Because as Christians we need to be focused on moving forward and we need to forget the past.  We cannot keep looking back at our past sins and past pains and keep moving forward.  When you look back, you stop going forward.  When you look back, the devil and the world have you looking back at the pain.  You focus on the pain and the devil tries to convince you that you should stay focused on the pain.  The devil wants you to stay in the past, in the pain and sorrow.

    This is why the Apostle Paul tells us to forget what is behind us.  We need to forget the past and move forward by God’s grace.  When we focus on the past, all of our past failures and shortcomings remain the focus.  The devil wants you to remember the pain you caused to your neighbor or your friend or to your family member.  He wants you to remember the pain you experienced.  He wants you in the past separated from God’s grace, alone in the pain and uncertainty.

    This is why Jesus came to forgive your sins, in order to put the past behind us forever.  The past that is full of sorrow and disappointment is to be left behind.  Jesus came to give you forgiveness and to give you the certainty and the hope for tomorrow.  Jesus gives us the reason to look forward; the certainty of life everlasting is waiting for us.  Our promised life in eternal joy and bliss waits.  So, look forward and forget the past; this is the secret to our joy.

Gracious Father, in you we have our hope for tomorrow.  Help us to leave the past behind and to go forward in the certainty of our salvation.  Be with those who are always looking back and suffering in the past.  Guide them by your Spirit to find the comfort in looking forward to the certainty of their salvation.  Help all your children to live in the joy of your wonderful, bountiful grace.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret