Don’t Dwell in the Past

Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

Time and time again we read in scripture that we need to move on from our past and embrace our future. Why is it so hard for us to move on from the circumstances that caused us such great pain in our past? There are many of us who dwell in our brokenness, and even though we may try to move on from our pain, we don’t.

Paul states it this way:

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 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 3:13-14

We often meet someone or even “several” someone’s in our church that indeed are living in the past. It is almost like they are a scratched record on an old record player. Every time the needle hits the scratch it repeats itself and you can never get past the scratch.

We too are just like that. We “dwell” in our past. At times we dwell in our past failures and in other moments our past “glories”. Paul states that we should forget what is behind and press on toward what is ahead.

How is it we move on from the past?

1. Learn from the past but don’t live there.
2. Share with someone your pain.
3. Focus on the present.
4. Practice forgiveness both for others and yourself.
5. Create some fresh memories.

It isn’t that we don’t remember the past. It is that we don’t dwell in it. Move on and embrace your health journey!

Triple D: Are there things from your past that are still holding you back from your freedom and your health journey? Consider the above steps, and move forward. This next year can be your year of freedom and celebration.