Dear Friends in Christ,
If you’ve played golf, you understand “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” I’ve had several beautiful Fall day’s walks spoiled hitting balls into the woods, ponds, and deep grass with equipment ill-suited to hitting a small ball in a fairly straight line. As I walk, I think back on my last errant shot. What could I change? What did I do wrong? And then my next shot – into the trees. Dwelling on past mistakes seems to make future mistakes more certain. Sportswriter Grantland Rice once said, “The quicker the average golfer can forget the shot he has dubbed … the sooner he begins to improve … Little good comes from brooding about the mistakes we've made. The next shot … is the big one."
Mr. Rice’s words are a practical example of Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) Trying to live while constantly focusing on the past can lead to problems. Too much focus on past glories can make us overconfident in our abilities. We can grow comfortable while forgetting God calls us to live our lives – past, present, and future – focused on Jesus. And too much focus on past shortcomings and sins can lead to discouragement as we wallow in the effects of our sin.
Paul isn’t telling us to abandon our past. It’s helpful to be reminded of how God has entered our lives, strengthening and carrying us through challenging times. It’s also instructive to look back on how far the Holy Spirit has brought us along as He drives bad habits away while drawing us closer to Him. He’s telling us to remember God’s promise to forgive (1 John 1:9) – and forget (Psalm 103:10-13) – our sin. Our past sin – gone! Free from past sin, we look forward while following Him in faith – confident in God’s mercy and grace, assured of His constant presence – as we journey toward eternal life!
In Christ,
Pastor Jim