Do Not Dwell in the Past. Live in the Present. Plan A Great Future.

Do Not Dwell in the Past

Do Not Dwell in the Past. Live in the Present. Plan A Great Future.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!  2 Corinthians 5:17

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
    but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6 34

 

Introduction

 

The past is the past so do not dwell in the past. You cannot change the past.  Why are we spending most of our energy thinking about the past? Learn from your past experiences so that you can move on and live in the present because God is about to do a new thing in your life. Embrace your life now and plan for a brighter and greater future. I know the Bible says do not worry about tomorrow but planning for tomorrow is not worrying. As Winston Churchill stated “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”

 

Do not Dwell in the Past

I know it is very difficult for some of us to forget the past especially if you were mistreated badly. Some of you were in abusive relationships. Some of you did not have much growing up and you were look upon in a condescending way. As a result of your past, you may have painful memories, envy, unforgiveness and lack of trust towards others. Some of us cannot even live in the present because we are still hurting from the past. Perhaps it was your spouse or a friend that abandoned or betrayed you and every time you see that person, you are upset. Some of you are still wondering how things would have been if you had done this or that.  Some of you are perhaps blaming yourself for things in the past.

 

On the other hand, some of you may have done some horrible things in your past and you are so concern about being accepted in the present so you can have a better future. Some people will not forget your past but rest assure that God is not like man and will forgive you.

Remember the story about Paul. Paul persecuted Christians and ended up being a follower of God. Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Accept the fact that you cannot change the past so it does not make any sense dwelling on it.

 

Live in the Present

Life is short and uncertain. Spend quality time with your family and friends now. Do not procrastinate as we do not know if those friends and family members will be us tomorrow. Do not take this lightly.

As we have established in the aforementioned, we cannot change the past nor do we know what tomorrow will bring so we need to live in the present.  Because we do not know when we leave this earth, we should always be prepared by living a holy life. Furthermore, we do not know when the Lord will return so we have to be ready now.

2 Peter 3 10 -14 states “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a]

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

 

 

I know many of our facing a myriad of hardships and difficulties in our lives and our country and we wish we can go back to the times when everything was alright and when the economy was booming. Live in the present conditions and accept the fact that you cannot go back to the past. Surrender everything to God. These issues you are experiencing are just temporary. Be patient and observe how God will turn your circumstances around. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Remember God has plans to prosper you, not plans to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

Plan your Future

The life you live now will determine where or how you spend your future. Do the things of God so that you spend eternity with him.  If you want to do things contrary to the word of God, then your future will be in Hell.

I know many of us have plans on this earth and there is nothing wrong with having plans because according to the Bible we should plan but ensure that we have God as part of our future plans.  According to James 4 13-17, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.:

Even though the Bible says we should not worry about tomorrow, that does not mean you should get rid of everything you have now.  Some of you have young children. Some of you may have a spouse who is unemployed or perhaps in a condition that is preventing him or her from working.  Have a plan for them so if you were to leave this earth before them, they would be in a good position.  According to Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”

 

Now please do not go store up yourself treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. But store up yourself treasures in Heaven. (Matthew 6:19-20)

 

Conclusion

Many of the Israelites who left Egypt not only complained a lot but they focused so much on the time they spent in the past in Egypt, that they did not even reached the Promised Land. In fact, they were in the wilderness for over 40 years.

God has great plans for you. Do not dwell in the past as it may just prevent you from reaching your destination because you would be so preoccupied with the past that you have lost your focus on fulfilling your real purpose on earth.

 

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