Our past is a silent companion that accompanies us wherever we go. Yet the Bible gives us several was our past can be among our best friends. 1. When we need strength and confidence we can remember how God has worked in our lives in the past remembering “He is the same yesterday, today, and forever” Hebrews 13:8 2. When we need encouragement and balance we can look back in our lives and be reminded of God’s providential direction in our circumstances. (Jeremiah 33:3) 3. When we need the ability to forgive, we can remember how much we have been forgiven by God, and take our struggle to the cross of Christ (Matthew 6:12, 14-15). 4. When we are struggling with pride, we can be reminded that we have nothing apart from the grace of God. (1 Corinthians 15:10) 5. When it is time to repent, we am reminded that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and that I am no better than any other person (1 Timothy 1:15). Remember, that our past actions do not define us today, and by God’s grace we can learn from them and be better tomorrow.… READ MORE

As we learn to apply Philippians 3:13 to our lives, and “forget those things which are in the past” we need to understand that our past can potentially hinder our growth in Christ in at least if we allow it. We need to understand the Word of God and seek direction from it to overcome the struggles of life. I am often reminded of Joseph and the struggles that he faced in Genesis 37-50. In all these things, he places his faith in God and recognizes that God will use those things not only for his benefit, but also for the benefit of others. We read his evaluation of those events in his life in Genesis 50:20 as he tells his brothers, “I know that you meant evil against me, in what you did, when you sold me into slavery, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (paraphrased by me). Joseph was able to understand that God’s plan for his life was bigger than his hopes for his present circumstances. When God was ready for Joseph to be used in a mighty way, He put … READ MORE

Paul records in Philippians 3:13-14 “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” People tend to drift between tow extremes when considering the past, Some believe that past is nothing and say “just suck it up and move on” others believe that the past is everything and blame the failures of today on their shaping influences in the past. They argue, “I can help it, it is just the way that I am!” We need to develop a biblical theology of the past on a practical, understandable level. While we are not to allow the past to control our present, at the same time we need to learn from our past so that as we make decisions in the present it will make for a better future. Our past is simply the accumulation of events, choices, responses, habits, attitudes, desires, feelings, and beliefs that frame the patterns, interpretations, and routines of our lives today. We need to learn that as we learn from the past it will help us as we “press toward the goal for … READ MORE