REARVIEW MIRROR

Rearview Mirror

Man, I don't know why I am going to tell you this, but I had such a stupid thought the other day. I get a little bored when I have to drive forever, and last week, I had to drive FOREVER! I was coming home from a basketball camp in Pennsylvania and was driving a stretch of road that we literally were on for hours. In an effort to keep from going insane, I ate 5 pounds of candy, and checked out every single thing that we passed. I caught myself looking in the rearview mirror one time, and all of the sudden found the lines on the road fascinating. (O.k. here comes the stupid part). I actually wondered if you could drive forward and keep the vehicle in the right lane by watching your position on the road in the mirror. Yeah..i know…I shouldn't really tell anyone else that huh?! J Don't worry, I didn't try it…and please don't you try it either! Again, I was on a sugar high, and extremely ready to get out of that bus!

It did get me thinking, though. The rearview mirror is awesome when you are driving backwards, but when you want to get to somewhere new, it will only land you in the ditch!

Do you have something in your past that you are ashamed of? There are not too many of us that can answer "no" to that question. I myself have plenty of scenarios that I can share with you. How many futures have been ruled and ruined by the fact that we can't let go of our pasts? All too often, we are caught constantly looking behind us, not able to let go of mistakes and decisions made years before. It causes us to be defined by our sins, rather than living in the forgiveness that has actually washed us white as snow.

We have a God that says we are forgiven, we have a Savior that shed His Blood to make us new, and yet we decide to submit to defeat rather than walk in the victory that is ours. If you ask me, that is stupid.

Phil. 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Brothers, 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."

You all can agree that my original little thought about driving was completely ridiculous. It would just be impossible. You would never be able to see if there were any turns up ahead, or be able to avoid the potholes that would pop up. More than likely, you would find yourself stuck in the mud, or wrecked and destroyed. We HAVE to realize that our spiritual lives are exactly the same way! It is time to stop living like we are prisoners and believe God when He says that we are forgiven! It is hard enough avoiding everything driving with our eyes forward; don't make it harder on yourself by concentrating on your mistakes!

You are free….live like it!