Past, Present, Future

Philippians 3:13-14
Easy-to-Read Version

Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.

The Past.  We all have one.  And most of us spend a lifetime dealing with the "fall-out" of it.  The majority of us have things from our past that has hurt, traumatized, shamed or debilitated us in some way.  And we spend a lot of time trying to fix or cover it up.  This is what can make living in the present painful, and the thought of the future unbearable sometimes.

And unless you believe in time-travel, you will never be able to "fix" the past.  The things and experiences that happened before - already happened.  There's no changing them.  It is done.

However, this does not mean that there isn't a "fix."  It's just that the fix has to be applied to the present, which will automatically affect the future.  My belief is that the past should be dealt with and identified for what it is.  If there is a hurt or wound, however traumatic, the sooner it is identified as that, the better.

The past issues can be put into their place, to learn and grown from.  And once the place for "the past" has been identified, one can move on to the present.  It is possible to live triumphantly today.  As I read the scripture in Philippians, I see a choice, either live with regret and grief over the past, or reach for the goal before me.  I submit to the reader that they both take the same amount of energy - but take you to two completely different places.

The Past should be a limited part of our lives and put away.  Today can be lived free from the chains of it.  The future is still to be lived with the choice of direction.  Turn away from the past and choose your path towards the finish line.

P.S.  The author understands that this short post regarding the past may seem to minimize the path to the present and the future.  There is no minimizing trauma and wounds, nor the path through healing.  Healing from Jesus is the only way to fix how the past affects us.  And healing can be painful because of the growth that happens in the process.  But it is worth it. ♥