“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 3:13-14

Often, when we think about the past, we feel crippled by regret. We feel sad about mistakes we’ve made or things we didn’t get to finish. Many of us carry with us the heavy burden of shame and regret for something that we did ten, twenty, thirty years ago. And when we think about the future, we are filled with worry and fear. What I, as a pastor, want to encourage you to do is to see the past through the cross and see the future through the resurrection.

God doesn’t want you to be crippled by shame. He doesn’t want you to be a slave to regret. That is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross for us so that we could be free from the crippling effects of shame and regret. He wants you to know your sins are forgiven. I think God wants us to see the best in our pasts, remember the good things in our lives, and allow those things to shape who we are today.

Focus on the good things from the past and look to the future knowing that God will be with you each step of the way.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, when I consider your grace in my life, I have no regrets. Once I repent sincerely for my sins and forgive sins done against me, I look forward to the fantastic future you have in store, knowing you’ll be with me each step of the way. Amen.

REFLECTION: What do you look most forward to in the future?