Because He Said So

Philippians 3:13 - 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.

If anyone would have a great desire to forget about his past, it was the Apostle Paul.  After all he had done to persecute Christ's followers, I could certainly understand if he believed himself to be unworthy of God's love and forgiveness.  The beauty of it all is that he was still considered worthy because God said so.  And so are all of we.

God tells us more than once in the Bible that He will forget about our sins and never think about them again (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12).  All we have to do is confess them to Him.

I can't speak for you, but I have done some pretty bad things in my day.  I would imagine that a lot of us have, and what I have done is not worse or better than anything you may have done.  This isn't a competition to see who the bigger degenerate was before they came to Christ.  I just know that I was a pretty big one.

Recently, during a conversation with a friend, I was asked about my past drug abuse and about being sober.  My friend asked if I knew the date of my sobriety, and I said yes.  Then she asked if I had a celebration every year.  That kind of caught me by surprise.  My answer was no.  I said, I am not afraid of what I've done in my past, but I don't want to celebrate it either.  I believe that by celebrating, it would cause me to live in it.  I said, I don't want to live in it, just learn from it.

And that's what I've been trying to do by the grace of God for the last (almost) 16 years - learn from my mistakes.  I may not have realized it at the time, but it was by the grace of God that I got sober, and nothing else.  The only thing I want to celebrate, is the victory I have achieved through Christ.  I have made it to this point in my life, and my sobriety, because He has given me the power to do so (Philippians 4:13).  I have been spared an eternal life of misery because He loves and forgives in the way that He does.  He has made me worthy of salvation, because He said so.

The only thing I want to focus on remembering every day, is the perfect law that sets me free and that if I do what it says and don't forget what I heard, then God will bless me for doing it (James 1:25).  I know that I will never be perfect on this side of Heaven, and I have made my peace with that; because I know and trust the One who is working on me every day to make me more like Him, and that I will be perfected on the day I meet Him to begin our eternity together.  The more I think about that, the more joy I receive.

I believe that's what God wants for all of us.  He wants us not to live in the past, but learn from it.  I believe He wants us to live in the moment of the work He is doing in and through us, and focus on what lies ahead - eternal life seated with Him in God's Kingdom.

Whatever you may be holding on to that is preventing you from finding the joy in a life full of God's redeeming work in you, I urge you to give it over to Him.  From a human perspective, it is going to be impossible to completely forget about it.  That's not what we are supposed to do.  That's God's area of expertise (one of many).  But don't let it control you anymore.  Learn from it, and focus on the great and mighty things that God has for you when you are surrendered to His love.  Focus on His patience, kindness, justice, mercy, and grace.  Learn from your mistakes, so that you can be a beacon of God's light to those that are dealing with similar issues.  Accept His unfailing love and forgiveness into your heart, because that's what He wants for you more than anything.  He wants you to experience the future and hope He has in store for the ones who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Don't be afraid to reach out for people to help you along the way.  It's easy to say, "I'm not the type to ask for help."  That's pride.  That's from the enemy.  The devil feeds off our fear and pride.  Don't give him a leg to stand on, but cut him off at the kneecaps.  It's not easy to think differently, particularly when we have done it a certain way for so long.  That's why God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but works every day in our lives to perfect us.  Take the first step today, and reach out to the One that loves you more than anyone or anything else ever could.

Dear Abba Father, thank You for loving me.  Thank You for showing me the way when I didn't think there was any other way.  Thank You for teaching me daily to let go of the control my past has on me, and focusing on Your perfect love and plans for me.  I pray for those that haven't let go yet.  My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will do a work in their heart so great that they will finally let it all go, and turn it all over to You to be healed.  Words could never express how grateful I am for Your perfect love and forgiveness that You have shown me through the years.  If I can be a beacon of Your light to someone who is struggling as I have, I am Your humble and obedient servant.  In the perfect and precious name of Jesus Christ I pray.  Amen!



God Bless!!!