The Past is the Past

Most of us have heard the saying "the past is the past," sometimes precipitated by an argument over a wrong decision, or by our lamenting over a long history of bad decisions or circumstances. Maybe our past reminds us of a simpler, more joyful time and we wonder where it could have gone. No matter, everything that occurred prior to this exact moment in time is now part of our past.

We cannot change the past - good or bad. "What if I had made a different career choice?" "What if I had studied more diligently for that test?" "What if I had made a more prudent financial decision?" What if? No matter how many "what ifs" we have in our life, not a single one can change where we are today. Short of owning a Delorean equipped with special features that travel across time at 88 mph, everything that has occurred before this very moment is part of our history. 

What we can change, however, is where we go tomorrow - our future! By dwelling on things that have already happened, we risk the beauty that God still desires for us. Think about Lot, the nephew of Abraham who found favor in God's eyes. He was living in a morally corrupt land that God was about to destroy because of its rampant immorality. Because Lot was favored, God sent angels to rescue him and his family prior to the fiery destruction. (Read the full story in Genesis 19.)

Lot and his wife hesitated. They couldn't let go. They were clinging onto what they knew - their past - instead of looking to the better future God was providing. As the angels were leading them out of town by the hand, Lot's family was warned "...Don't look back..." Genesis 19:17. What did Lot's wife do?

"But Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt." Genesis 19:26 NIV

A pillar of salt, left there on the plains never to breathe life again. She had been given a chance to continue living a favored life with her family, the only requirement was that she let go of her past...and she couldn't.  Isn't that just like us?

Every time we cling to the past, we are transformed one cell at a time into a pillar of salt. To achieve the glory and blessings God desires for us, we must let go. We must focus on our future - on God's future for us. The past is the past...leave it there.

How about you? Do you (like me) find your mind creeping towards things of the past? Commit with me to take one forward step at a time. Become determined to not allow the salt of our wounds to take over our entire being. Seek God's future for your life.

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  I am SIGNIFICANT in Christ. I will fight the good fight as a Princess Warrior for the Lord!"