Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Don't look back

I feel like we spend too much time looking and what we should have done rather that what God has for us.
Does that make sense?

So many should have's, could have's and would have's make your day into a shoulda-coulda-woulda day.
No one enjoys those. Regret is not of God. It is basically incomplete repentance.
Here is a definition of repentance....

To Repent
(intransitive) To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do.
(intransitive) To change one's mind, or the course of conduct, on account of regret or dissatisfaction.
(transitive) To feel pain on account of; to remember with sorrow.
(transitive) To cause to have sorrow or regret.

Regretting something is only part of repentance. You are going to feel sorrow for what you have done, but don't look back.
Change your mind and behavior and look forward to what God has for you. God doesn't want us to dwell in the past and in thesorrow. He wants to renew us and for us to rise above the hurt. He wants to deliver us from a place of despair.

Look at Lot's wife in Genesis.
Here's Genesis 19:15-17 (New International Version)
15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

Let's continue on with Genesis 19:24-26 (New International Version)
24 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

God tried to deliver them all, but it didn't happen. He even sent angels to pull Lot up by the hand. Lot had to pull his own daughters up. And even though Lot's wife ran, she looked back. There was something in her heart that hadn't left Sodom and Gomorrah.

When we leave sin - when we repent - we cannot turn back. Regret is leaving. Repentance is leaving and not looking back.
Don't look back. There is nothing for us there. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face.
... and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Have a blessed day.

3 comments:

  1. Good thoughts. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good thoughts. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice ...We do tend to look back and use the term In the good ol days....But we always need to look forward toward the SON, and not let those OLD ways creep back to us.....I actually have something to tie this in with..If you don't mind....lol....When we are walking away from the SUN....Our shadows are in front of us. Shadows being our sins and baggage we carry....BUT when we face the SUN our shadow is behind us....JUST LIKE WHEN WE FACE THE "SON"...our sins and baggage are behind us....God Bless ya man ...I still think you have a GREATER calling ....Ricky

    ReplyDelete