I used to spend a lot of time agonizing about the past. It can be just as dangerous to romanticize the past, thinking that life today is never going to be as good as it once was.

I love this E. L. Doctorow quote about writing:

“It’s like driving a car at night: you never see further than your headlights,
but you can make the whole trip that way.”

That is profoundly simple and true. I think this principle applies to writing, living, and especially for living a life of faith. Life is a fog. I wish I could see farther ahead on my journey, but the truth is, I cannot. I can see only as far as the light that illuminates my path. Because I’m a Christian, that is all I really need to know. Christ, my Light, reassures me that I can (and will) make the whole trip in that way. But there is fear in the unknown of the future, and it is easy to dwell in the predictable events of the past.

Not dwelling in the past is a huge issue to address on my journey to slow down, disconnect, and reconnect in healthier ways, both spiritually and relationally. I am learning a lot about what a mess I am. I am pretty sure most of those close to me were already aware of this.

Paul described his past to the church at Philippi. He wrote that what he used to view as valuable he now viewed as garbage, compared to the priceless value of knowing Christ. He explained his desire to know Christ better. And then Paul gave a note of encouragement and a path to achieve that goal by focusing on Christ and always moving forward.

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

That is the plan. I forget the past, look forward, and then take one stride at a time to the finish line. I can’t backpedal and finish the race. I can’t run in place and finish the race. I can’t take one mighty leap to finish the race. I certainly can’t stop and finish the race. It is about putting one foot in front
of the other.

Satan wants desperately to have me wallow in regret or shame of the past. Followers of Christ have an escape plan. It’s not always easy to implement. Sometimes professional counseling is needed to break the chains. But the power for healing is there. Bible teacher and author Warren Wiersbe offers a good perspective on this challenge, as he analyzes how Paul related to the past.

“Forgetting those things which are behind” does not suggest an impossible feat of mental and psychological gymnastics by which we try to erase the sins and mistakes of the past. It simply means that we break the power of the past by living for the future. We cannot change the past, but we can change the meaning of the past. There were things in Paul’s past that could have been weights to hold him back (1 Tim. 1:12-17), but they became inspirations to speed him ahead. The events did not change, but his understanding of them changed.”

I can’t magically erase the events and pain of prior events, but I can break their power. I can change the meaning of the past. I can live for the future. I can believe that I am a new creation because of the finished work of Christ. And I can begin to see myself as God sees me. God knows all of that bad stuff about me, but He chooses not to remember any of it. When the Accuser tries to convict me of those events, his indictments fall on deaf ears. The past does not define me; Jesus does. Prior events and hurts do not defeat me, because I can advance, one step at a time, toward the goal set before me.

The danger of dwelling on the past is wonderfully put by this quote from Michael McMillan.

You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

The past is forgiven. The future is in God’s hands. Let’s trust Him in this moment.