When It Hurts to Look at Your Past
If you’re a football player, while there is the joy and excitement of playing under the Friday night lights, there is less of a thrill on Saturday mornings — film day.
Film day is just like it sounds. Players watch a replay of the previous night’s game, dissecting what worked (and what didn’t), with the goal of improving their performance to face the next opponent.
Looking at touchdowns and great tackling is not so hard to do on film day. But replaying mistakes like fumbles and missed blocks — not so much.
But there’s so much we can learn from our past mistakes if we’re willing to walk that uncomfortable path and if we choose not to give up.
The apostle Paul certainly had some events in his past he probably wanted to gloss over (being present at Stephen’s murder, being one. Acts 7:57, 58)
But Paul’s past didn’t keep God from using him. Paul was transformed from someone who set out to persecute Christians to actually spreading the Gospel himself!
Here’s the thing: we’ve all done things we’re ashamed of. We’ve all made mistakes and we all have things in our pasts that are less than glittery.
Maybe you’ve committed a crime or said a harsh word you wished you could take back. Maybe you took part in an action that displeased God.
In Philippians 3:12-14 (CSB), Paul shows us there is hope and a path forward:
Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 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.
The past holds you captive. God’s love sets you free.
Our path to forgiveness lies in Christ, meaning:
we can let go of the past.
we can look forward to who and what God wants us to become.
Paul acknowledges he is not perfect, but he is ready to ditch the past and move forward. No more looking in the rearview mirror for Paul!
Just like painfully watching film on Saturday morning helps the team prepare for the next game, our knowledge of who we can be with a transformed heart and mind is gained by spending time with Him.
When we grow in Him — we are forgiven.
When we grow in Him — we can look forward to a fuller life in Christ.
That’s the ultimate win.
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Regina is a writer, former homeschooling mom, and owner of a comfort food catering business. A contributor to several publications, she is also an advocate for young adults with developmental disabilities and serves on the Compel Pro volunteer leadership team. Living in Ohio with her family, she designs Squarespace websites for fellow creatives and spends her free time cheering her sons from the sidelines or sipping tea while chatting about God’s goodness with women.
