Past - Present - Future
From my current perspective I see life in three stages. Beginning, middle, end - brilliant eh. The first thirty years (1-30) were spent mostly in school and getting started in work. These are the years of learning not only information in school, but also physical coordination, relationship skills, skills with math and tools, developing character, vision for life, all the basic things that you will need the rest of your life. Then the next thirty years (31-60) are the years where you apply what you learned in earnest only to find that you were not as smart as you thought you were or were going to be. Learning and doing by trial and error, instead of through books, guessing a lot, facing new challenges, dealing with successes and dealing with failures. All of this now to arrive at the final thirty years (61-90). Kids are gone, a few aches and pains, possibly even a major financial crisis if Bernie Madoff was your friend and you worked at Enron. So what do I do now? It is very important to do two things.
Dealing with Your Past
It is important to deal with your past correctly not incorrectly. Be done with sorrow and pity. Be done with woulda, coulda, shoulda, what if, and if only. Be done with anger, stress, and bitterness. Put all of these far behind you because that is where they belong. What's done is done and you cannot erase it. Even the good things of the past are done as well. All you can do now is learn the lessons from your past, but don't stay there, forgive those who have wronged you and forget it forever, and seek forgiveness and restoration with those you have wronged - that's all you can do. Now having done that...
Enjoy the Present
Yesterday ended at midnight. Today is a new day with wonderful possibilities. Your future consists of what you do today. You may not be today where you had hoped you'd be in life, but here is where you are so make the best of it...and why not, what's your other choice, to make the worst of it? Relax, don't worry, do all you can do today using all you have and all you have learned and give it your best shot. After all God says...
For I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope... Jeremiah 29:11
...but this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3,13,14
If you have never believed in Jesus and surrendered to him as Lord (your boss) then why not do so today. Don't miss out on what it's like to have that personal relationship with God living inside you He's waiting for you to believe and commit, then he will enter inside you by giving you his spirit and life. Then when your final thirty years are over you will continue living with him and everyone who has believed in Jesus forever in heaven. Your life never ends you just move to a new location - some to a good place and some to a bad place. So what are you waiting for come to Jesus right now.
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Dealing with Your Past
It is important to deal with your past correctly not incorrectly. Be done with sorrow and pity. Be done with woulda, coulda, shoulda, what if, and if only. Be done with anger, stress, and bitterness. Put all of these far behind you because that is where they belong. What's done is done and you cannot erase it. Even the good things of the past are done as well. All you can do now is learn the lessons from your past, but don't stay there, forgive those who have wronged you and forget it forever, and seek forgiveness and restoration with those you have wronged - that's all you can do. Now having done that...
Enjoy the Present
Yesterday ended at midnight. Today is a new day with wonderful possibilities. Your future consists of what you do today. You may not be today where you had hoped you'd be in life, but here is where you are so make the best of it...and why not, what's your other choice, to make the worst of it? Relax, don't worry, do all you can do today using all you have and all you have learned and give it your best shot. After all God says...
For I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope... Jeremiah 29:11
...but this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3,13,14
If you have never believed in Jesus and surrendered to him as Lord (your boss) then why not do so today. Don't miss out on what it's like to have that personal relationship with God living inside you He's waiting for you to believe and commit, then he will enter inside you by giving you his spirit and life. Then when your final thirty years are over you will continue living with him and everyone who has believed in Jesus forever in heaven. Your life never ends you just move to a new location - some to a good place and some to a bad place. So what are you waiting for come to Jesus right now.
Back to Articles
