Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from The Way of the Wildflower by Ruth Chou Simons.
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Don’t let yesterday’s regrets keep you from faithfully stewarding today.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my half century of life, it’s that dwelling on the past doesn’t move you forward; it only prevents you from carrying on well in the present.
Ask me how I know...
- Sometimes I idealize a more peaceful season.
- Sometimes I get stuck rehearsing previous choices.
- Sometimes regret threatens to steal my joy.
- Sometimes I wish I could go back to the little years with my kids now that they’re grown.
- Sometimes I can’t believe how much time I used to have.
- Sometimes I get caught up in the “what ifs” of yesterday.
Do you ever wish you could go back and redo a certain season, or wish for a do-over? Does looking over your shoulder ever cause you to miss the opportunities today?
Nostalgia isn’t wrong. Neither is learning from the past.
We don’t dishonor the Lord when we miss the way it was, and we aren’t sinful to feel regret. But when remembering and considering the past turns into dwelling on what we don’t have or what is simply no longer ours to steward, we miss God’s call for stewardship of today. When these feelings about the past hinder us in our ability to live fully in the joy and peace that God offers us today, we must ask ourselves, Have my thoughts about the past eclipsed my pursuit of faithfulness in the here and now?
The apostle Paul was no stranger to change. He undoubtedly had regrets about his part in the persecution of Christ-followers before he became a believer. He had memories of accolades from a life that no longer held its charm. He lost friends, a more comfortable way of life, and the status he’d known in his past. If anyone could have a reason to dwell on the past, it would be Paul. So how amazing it is that he wrote to the believers in Philippi:
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:13–14 CSB
“Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead” is an active disposition. Paul kept his eyes on the prize of faithfulness in Christ and chose to move toward that goal. For someone who had a whole list of things he could easily be distracted by, Paul stayed focused by deliberately choosing to pursue Christ wholeheartedly, actively moving forward instead of lingering on the past.
So often the most burdensome meanderings of our minds keep us trudging through life like we’re walking in mud, stuck in a loop of what could’ve, should’ve, or would’ve been. What if, instead, the freedom we have access to through salvation in Christ is meant to propel us forward—unburdened by regrets, untangled from the nostalgia of the past, and purposeful in what lies ahead? What if I told you God has purposeful plans for your life that you can’t even imagine right now?
You can honor the past and move forward in the present, friend. In fact, you need to move forward.
Obedience today doesn’t mean pretending that yesterday never happened; rather, it determines to make the most of what is to come.
You and I don’t need to dwell in regret, shame, or what could have been. We can keep our eyes on the prize of glorifying Christ with what we have and where we are now, in this precious life God has given us, today.
Forgetting the past and reaching, straining, or stretching toward what lies ahead is a grand vision, yes. But it begins with your very next step to look ahead and not behind. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Your someday is made up of thousands of right nows, so begin today.
Steward the next step and run toward living for Jesus.
The wild wonder of God’s love is not merely that we are released from the weight of what we can’t change or redo but that we are freed to hope in what is not yet. Be encouraged. So much more is yet to come.
Excerpted with permission from The Way of the Wildflower by Ruth Chou Simons, copyright Ruth Chou Simons.
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Your Turn
Unburden yourself of the regrets. Just steward today. God has so much grace for you, so be encouraged and run toward Jesus with all you’ve got! ~ Devotionals Daily