Stuck
June 24, 2022
Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG
I know what you think sometimes. You get caught thinking about your past, the mistakes you have made, the times you have failed, the well-intentioned but disastrous decisions you initiated. Before you know it you are stuck. You are full of shame and discouragement and can’t begin to picture yourself as a hero or role model. Anyone but you.
God tells us plainly to refuse to dwell on the past. Why? Because doing so can cause us to get stuck. It’s extremely easy for us to feel sorry for ourselves. Perhaps we will focus on our regrets. We’ll convince ourselves our best days are behind us. And the very most dangerous of all, dwelling on our past will eat up our gratitude for all the blessings we have in our lives in the past and present, and the promises for the future.
God wants us to get unstuck from our past. If we put these two verses together, we see that the Lord wants us to resist dwelling on the past so that we can see the “new thing” He wants to do in our lives. He knows we must participate with Him for the brand-new things to happen. You can almost hear the excitement in God’s voice. He knows that regardless of our past, what He has in store for us is far better than anything we could imagine. The Living Bible translation bears this out when it says, “But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I’m going to do!” (v. 18).
God created you to be a hero; a role model for people who see you. Nothing in your past invalidates His plan for you. Take God at His word. In Christ we are “new creations – the old has past, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). He sees you as valued, worthy, and usable. He knows you are hero material. Get unstuck.
“If you were to suddenly forget everything you’ve learned from imperfect people, you would suddenly forget everything you know. Including your name.” – Andy Stanley
- Lord, I don’t want to miss any of the wonderful plans You have for my life. Help me resist dwelling on the past. Show me how to constantly move forward into my new life, a life that I can invest in loving and helping others. Guard me from self-pity, shame, and feelings of regret. Help me stay grateful. Thank You for helping me see and believe in the new things You have for me. I want to be a role model and a hero for those who need me. Use imperfect me. Amen.