Vol. 19 No. 01 | January 2, 2017
These passages from an Old Testament prophet and a New Testament apostle always seem to have relevance, but especially at this time of year.
This is what the Lord says—
He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 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 43:16, 18-19, NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14, NIV)
The message is simple. The wisdom is timeless. The practice is challenging.
It is one thing to celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of a new with parties and fireworks, it is quite another to follow through with your plans to do things differently in the New Year.
It is much easier to make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight than it is to have the discipline to resist the Snicker’s bar in the cabinet ten feet from you.
It is much easier to say you are going to exercise more than it is to put those walking shoes on and head out the door.
It is much easier to say you are going to let go of your bitterness and resentment than it is to go to the person who hurt you and say, “I forgive you.”
And, it is much easier to say, “I forgive you” than it is to actually forgive.
It is much easier to say you plan to trust God more in the New Year than it is to simply trust Him.
It is important to make the promises and resolutions to do things better. It is equally as important to forget and leave the past behind. The passage from Isaiah says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
You must forget and leave behind your failures. You messed up. Big time! Move on. Start over. Forgive yourself. Stop dwelling on the past.
Things did not go as well as you had hoped they would. Okay. Try again. Stop dwelling on the past.
You were hurt deeply. I am sorry. As long as you interact with people there is as risk of getting hurt. Keep interacting. Stop dwelling on the past.
You did great things last year. Good for you! Do not rest on those accomplishments. Do even greater things this year. Stop dwelling on the past.
Stop dwelling on the past, look for the new things God is doing, and join Him.
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.