DON'T LET YESTERDAY STEAL TODAY
“...forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
Philippians 3:13
Yesterday can be a wonderful place to visit.
It holds precious memories, answered prayers, victories God has given us, people we have loved, and moments we would gladly live again if we could.
But yesterday can also be a dangerous place to live.
It holds failures we wish we could undo, words we wish we could take back, opportunities we missed, hurts we still remember, and decisions we would make differently if given another chance.
The Apostle Paul certainly had a past.
Before he became the great missionary of the New Testament, Paul had persecuted Christians. He had imprisoned believers. He had consented to the death of Stephen. There were things in Paul's past that he could never go back and change.
Yet Paul wrote:
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
Philippians 3:13
Paul understood something every Christian needs to learn:
You cannot change yesterday, but you do not have to allow yesterday to control today.
Sometimes yesterday steals today through regret.
We replay our failures over and over again. We remember what we did, what we said, or what we should have done. If we are not careful, we can spend so much time regretting yesterday that we accomplish nothing for God today.
If sin is involved, confess it.
I John 1:9 says:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
When God forgives, we need to accept His forgiveness and move forward.
Sometimes yesterday steals today through hurt.
Someone disappointed us. Someone betrayed us. Someone said something that cut deeply. The event may have happened years ago, but every time we rehearse it in our minds, we experience the pain again.
We cannot always choose what happens to us.
But we can choose whether we will spend the rest of our lives chained to what happened.
Sometimes yesterday even steals today through success.
That may sound strange, but yesterday's victories can become just as dangerous as yesterday's failures.
We can become so occupied with what God used to do that we fail to see what God wants to do now.
The Christian life was never intended to be lived looking backward.
Paul continued:
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14
Notice the direction.
Paul was reaching forth.
Paul was pressing toward.
His eyes were ahead.
There is a windshield in front of you and a rearview mirror behind you for a reason. The rearview mirror is useful. Occasionally, you need to look at where you have been. But you cannot safely travel forward while constantly staring behind you.
The same is true spiritually.
Learn from yesterday.
Thank God for yesterday.
Confess the sins of yesterday.
Forgive the hurts of yesterday.
Cherish the blessings of yesterday.
But then...
live today.
God has given you this day.
There are people you can encourage today. There are prayers you can pray today. There is Scripture you can read today. There is someone you can love today. There is something you can do for Christ today.
Yesterday is gone.
Tomorrow has not arrived.
But God has placed today in your hands.
Maybe yesterday was one of the worst days of your life.
That does not mean today has to be.
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24
Don't allow an old failure to rob you of a new opportunity.
Don't allow an old hurt to rob you of today's joy.
Don't allow yesterday's blessings to make you believe God's best work is all behind you.
God is still God.
His grace is still sufficient.
His mercies are still new.
And as long as God has given you another day, He has given you another opportunity to walk with Him.
So remember yesterday when you need to.
Learn from it.
Thank God for it.
But don't live there.
Don't let yesterday steal today.