The Direction Is Forward

 The other day when we went to church, it was one of those days that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that's where we were supposed to be. When the preacher started speaking, I knew why. 

The title of the message was "The Direction Is Forward". The entire sermon was about don't look backwards and to cut the tether to your past. 

See some of us have things that we miss about our past and look back longingly wishing we could go back there. For example, people who have lost a loved one or simply faced life changes that were completely out of their control. 

Some of us look back longingly for the days when our knees didn't pop every time we walked or our joints didn't ache when the weather changed. Others look back longing for days when children could play outside safely till the street lights came on, or people were just a little bit nicer to each other. 

Others have painful tragic circumstances that they wish they could go back to before. Before the situation happened. Before the tragedy was confirmed. Before... However, going backwards is not what God wants for us. We need to feel the emotions, process the loss, and move forward. 

As the pastor was sharing, one point he made stood out to me. If we keep looking backward, we get stuck. We are stuck and because we are stuck in the past, we freeze. That affects those we are called to reach out to. We all have people in our life that we are called to minister to, to reach out to, to love like Jesus. When we are frozen, we miss those opportunities. 

Luke 17:32 reminds us to ,"Remember Lot's wife!". Looking back longingly at Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:26  is what had Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt. She longed for the things in the past while God was moving them to a new stage forward. He had new life in front of them and she looked back to the old. 

Whether it's a "better time" in your mind or a life of sin that you're looking back to, it's time to look forward. It's time to move forward. To keep striving for the prize God has set in front of you. There are seasons in life and they change all the time. A new season can be scary but it can also be the best thing you've ever experienced. Is it easy? Absolutely not. There will be days that you look back and miss certain things. Feel the feelings and keep moving forward. 

If you're in the midst of a season of change, loss, or a traumatic experience, know that what God has ahead is even better than what is behind. Process your feelings with someone you can trust such as a licensed counselor, pastor, or mentor. Work through those feelings and move forward. The steps will be slow at times. It may even feel like you move can't move at times. Know that you're not alone and that Holy Spirit is walking with you every step of the way.

Remember today to allow yourself to grieve what you need to and to move forward with joy. God never wastes anything you walk through.