Looking back

I think all of us at some time in our lives look back over an event, a relationship, or a decision with some regret. If we had our time again, maybe things would have turned out differently. On the flip side, maybe we look back fondly and wish we were there again!

However we might be affected by the past, we can’t redo it. What’s done is done, and it’s up to us as individuals to determine how the past will shape our lives going forward.

Nelson Mandela once said, “It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.” (Nelson Mandela, 1997)

The problem is, for some people life is very difficult and they don’t feel like they have much to look forward to at all. There are many people struggling with depression and even suicidal thoughts for this very reason.

God is offering a wonderful future for us all if we are willing to investigate it.

The Apostle Paul suffered many horrific things in his life, but he wrote this about God’s gift: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14, NLT)

You can find out more about this ‘heavenly prize’ in the Bible!

Reference:

Mandela, N. (1997, November 21). Foreign Correspondents Association Annual Dinner, Johannesburg, South Africa.