Don’t Look Back – Look Forward With Jesus!

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.’ (Proverbs 4:25); ‘(13b) <Paul wrote,> But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 3:13b-14)

In looking for a picture for the MBC ‘Veterans Day’ montage request, I went through old photo albums looking for a particular one that I thought would be ‘apropos’ – and of course, I did not find it, so I’ll have to use the more traditional ‘boot camp’ photo that every veteran has, regardless of their service branch – Old Glory in the back of the right shoulder with a blank stare past the camera, usually in the ‘Class A’ (dress attire) uniform. 

In my futile search, however, I saw many photos of the past ‘me’ in various stages.  Pictures as a child, as an adolescence, post-high school, and then as an early adult in then out of the Army.  Pictures of me in my ‘Studly Do-Right’, Adonis phase with dark black hair – on top of my head, flowing down to my shoulders – and black beard.

Later, of course, the ‘dad-bod’ started to appear, the hair-line receded until there was no hair to draw a line on the top, and the hair was cut and the beard became a goatee as I transitioned from blue-collar, to grey-collar, then finally a white-collar position, wearing suits and ties and all the formalities that come with it. 

There was ‘success’ at each level, and the ‘trappings’ that went with them.  A sports car, buying a home with a pool installed in my mid-20’s; I should have been satisfied, but there was always the need for ‘more’.  I saw in these old photos the look in my eye and the posture in my stance of misplaced confidence in ‘self’.

Thankfully, in my early 30’s, just before the need for the suits, I accepted as my Lord and Savior, Jesus.  I could have rested on my ‘self’ laurels, and likely would have been ‘successful’ in the eyes of the secular worldview.  I would still be discontent, looking for the next level to achieve, and perhaps self-destructive in the pursuit.  Instead, I found contentment in Christ and thankfully contentment in myself.  It may not necessarily be the physically healthiest choice, but mentally and most importantly Spiritually it has been and always will be the best of choices.

If someone could look back and rest on their laurels, it would have been Paul when he was Saul.  Saul was the Pharisee’s Pharisee.  The rock star celebrity for his time as he carried out with zeal and conviction the persecution of those ‘pesky’ Christians.  He had all the trappings that his celebrity brought him, and he had the added benefit of being a Roman citizen.  Saul was in the lap of luxury, as much as any Jew in his day could have, save for possibly King Herod and the high priests. 

But after the Damascus Road encounter with Jesus, when Saul became Paul and a follower of Christ. Paul no longer lived off of his past glories but instead compelled to move forward to advance the Gospel and the cause of Christ.  Paul’s name changed and so did his focus.  Paul realized that if he tried to move forward but keep up with his past, he would ultimately fail Jesus.  He gave up his celebrity to become an evangelist, to go and work in fields to earn his keep while setting up churches throughout Asia Minor and the Mediterranean coast. 

Paul also put behind him the shame of persecuting (and killing) the Christians he now helped build up.  Paul had to work hard to gain the trust of the Apostles and his fellow Disciples in the Way to convince them his Christianity was authentic by releasing all of what he had accomplished before. 

The expression, ‘our best days are behind us’, is a misleading statement.  Yes, at 62 I am built like a mountain (bald on top, wide on the bottom).  My hair is gray, and my physical strength and stamina is not what it was as a stud Adonis with flowing hair at age 27.  But I also did not know Christ and was not as rooted in both my Faith and contentment that I am today.  Contentment that I know who I am, a Follower of Christ, what I need to accomplish for Him. 

I cannot go back and change anything in the past or retrieve anything lost.  I can only affect today and prepare in anticipation of the future that only Jesus knows what will happen.  Like Paul, I cannot afford to live off the past, allowing it to become an anchor dragging in the mud, but I must release it and live for Christ today freely moving ahead to continue to run the race He has placed before me.  And for that, I am grateful and blessed!