Prying My Fingers
At times it feels like God is gently prying my fingers off my past. I tend to keep holding on to what is not always good. I’m not saying to let go of everything… to let go of all your memories, what you used to do, etc. But you must let go of what is holding you back from moving forward and becoming who He sees you to be. Let go of what the enemy is reminding you of. God wants all of us to change over time to look more like His Son. Gal 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” ESV. That can be true in our lives.
We can expect God to be gently prying our fingers off of the corpse of the old man we were.
Not that all of the past was bad, but all of the past is past. The dying and living is a daily occurrence. I daily die to self and live for Christ. I don’t know about you, but I need help letting go. Where I am seems much of the time to be more comfortable than an unsure future. Matthew 6:24 says, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” NAS. We are not to worry about tomorrow either. But as today is called today, live for Christ, look to what He has for you today. Change in whatever way He asks. Care for whoever He says to. Accomplish what He has placed before you. Looking at yesterday or tomorrow can keep your focus off today.
‘Remember Lot’s wife.’ Luke 17:32. She looked back, even though the angel of the Lord told them not to. It did not end well for her.
The only other thing I would add would be Philippians 4:8 It gives us something to think about rather than the past. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Should have ended with that…so…next week 🙂
Timely. I have spent the whole day, mind you I see as a waste, in fear. Fear of what? Occurrences, people, things. It’s hard to surrender all sometimes. Trusting Him, instead of trying to control things is hard. Letting go is an easy mechanic, but when in fear….crippling.
Fear is crippling for sure. The enemy wants to use that as much as possible. I don’t see God using fear to motivate us, but He does allow fear as we move forward. Gideon is a great example. He was ‘hiding’ in a winepress threshing wheat…then his first obedience to God was done at night to ‘avoid being seen’.