There is definitely some benefit from the past if we learn from it in order to better ourselves and our choices for the future. But bringing the past into the present can be a very unhealthy thing if we are holding on to it.
Paul passed on that wisdom to us in these verses:
13 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, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Neither holding on to our successes or our failures will help us. Each and everyday is new and we are a new person. We cannot live off of our past success because it belongs to yesterday and we need to be forging ahead with new accomplishments. What we did yesterday will not be enough to keep us in righteous relationship tomorrow.
Holding onto our failures is also a problem because it creates a prison for us. We must repent and receive forgiveness or we will spend our time trying to fix what was instead of building what will be.
As the Bible says, the goal is at the end of the race...a heavenly prize. We need to keep our eyes on the prize and that means not looking to the past but looking to the future.
Do you have things you are holding on to? Is today the day that you will start letting it go? I pray that it is!
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